The El Hazard of Haruhi Suzumiya
by Darth-Joker
Summary: Fascinated by news of three students, and one Sensei, of Shinonome High School going missing shortly after the discovery of the Jinnai Ruins, Haruhi Suzumiya decides to have her SOS Brigade investigate those ruins, which would lead them into El Hazard...
1. Chapter 1

The El Hazard of Haruhi Suzumiya

_Author's Note: The events of this crossover take place immediately after the first two El Hazard OAVs – the original 7-episode OAV, as well as the 4-episode OAV 2, which I will call "the Kalia OAV" for short, __**and**__ it also takes places immediately after the first season of the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya anime. For the purposes of this story, assume that El Hazard and the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya both exist in a shared composite universe, and that the events of El Hazard OAVs 1 and 2, and 1__st__ Season Haruhi Suzumiya occurred within the same time frame – we'll shift the time to 2005._

**Chapter 1 – The Melancholy of El Hazard**

As I walk about this scorching hot desert, barely able to even maintain consciousness or focus as my dry mouth _screams_ for water and my head _begs_ for a pillow to rest upon, my mind can't help but drift towards the insanity that led me here. Like most of the madness in my life over the past year, it finds its catalyst in the form of one Haruhi Suzumiya.

"The Jinnai ruins?" I had posed in rhetorical question to her, skeptical as always of what Haruhi hoped to find with one of her bizarre expeditions, "The Jinnai ruins of Shinonome High School?"

"Yes! Of course, Kyon… don't you see?" she asked of me with her unique mixture of enthusiastic zeal and irritation at my lack thereof, "Three Shinonome High School students, and one teacher, all went mysteriously missing two weeks ago. And this all happened right after one of those students discovered these mysterious ancient ruins beneath the foundation of his school! Don't you know what it means?!"

"Huh… it means that three high school students are playing a particularly cool prank on their school?" I answered apathetically with the first possibility that crossed my mind.

"Kyon, you idiot!" she yelled at me, whacking me over the head with a rolled-up copy of the latest edition of the SOS Brigade's recently started weekly school newspaper, "Two of the three students that went missing were the two top students in the entire school! These aren't the sort of students to play silly pranks, Kyon!"

"Um… _you're_ a top student, Haruhi, and that doesn't stop _you_ from…" I began in protesting reply, as I rubbed my head where Haruhi had struck it.

However, before I could finish, Haruhi began to lean in close to me, unnerving me with that deep penetrating glare of hers. Deciding that discretion was _definitively_ the better part of valor here, I chose to _not_ finish this particular thought of mine.

"W-well, even if they _aren't_ the sort of students to pull pranks, they probably just got lost somewhere in those ruins that they found." I argued.

"If that's the case…" began Haruhi proudly, motioning quickly to stand upright with hands on her hips, and her face beaming, "If the SOS Brigade was to find and rescue these students, we'll be able to get them to tell us _all_ that they know about those ruins… _and_ with us doing all of this, Shinonome High School will be in our debt, and we'll get these three missing students to start up a Shinonome branch of the SOS Brigade!"

At _that_ point, I simply felt an uncomfortably common nauseous sensation of eternal dread come over me. I could only bring my palm to my face over Haruhi's relentless SOS zeal. Save our souls indeed…

"That sounds like a great plan, Haruhi!" chimed in the perpetually cheerful Koizumi, signaling that any objections I had to all of this were overruled as usual.

"Then I can trust you, Vice-Commander, to make the necessary arrangements for us to travel to Shinonome… _right_?" she asked with a mischievous grin on her face, as Koizumi was now the one to endure Haruhi leaning in on him.

"Of course!" replied Koizumi with energetic approval. At that, Haruhi had made a couple pleasing chuckles beneath her breath while smiling widely. She then turned around 180 degrees, and pointed fervently forward at the door exiting out of the SOS Brigade's club room.

"Then it's off to Shinonome that we go!"

At the time, I had thought this to be yet another one of the pointless wild goose chases that Haruhi so loved to force us to endure like a gym teacher makes his students run twenty laps around a circle just to end up exactly where the students had started. However, unlike the many _previous_ wild goose chases that were more than you could shake a goose hunter at, this _particular_ expedition proved to really, truly involve everything that Haruhi could hope for. The ancient ruins beneath the foundation of Shinonome High _really did_ lead somewhere. Somewhere bizarre. Somewhere possibly alien… …And somewhere in the middle of a vast desert where Koizumi and I will die from thirst and heat exhaustion!

"Koizumi!" I shouted in anger, as a thought of clarity suddenly passed by my mind in spite of the precarious circumstances that Itsuki and I had found ourselves in for hours now, "This is all _your_ doing! This is all _your_ fault!"

A quick jolt of anger-fuelled adrenaline gave me renewed strength, which I used to grab Koizumi's sagging and soaked with sweat white shirt by the lapels, screaming my accusations into his face.

"If _you_ had protested Haruhi's plan like **I** did, and if _you_ hadn't arranged for transportation to Shinonome, **we** wouldn't be in this horrid hot humid hell now!" I exclaimed at him.

"Kyon…" he began surprisingly softly, sympathetic to the concerns and emotions of others, as he always admirably is, "I understand where you're coming from. But we _had_ to go on this expedition. Do you remember what Yuki said?"

Yuki… yes, Yuki. After that disorienting flash of brilliant bluish white light, Koizumi and I had somehow become separated from her, Haruhi, and Mikuru. Koizumi and I somehow woke up here in the middle of this inhospitable and seemingly uninhabited desert. Still… Yuki, Haruhi, and Mikuru _must_ be somewhere. Before we left for Shinonome, Yuki had explained to me that this particular expedition was going to be very different. The data entity had informed her about the likely discoveries and perils that would be awaiting us at the ancient ruins beneath Shinonome High School. Yuki brought up the time that her, Itsuki, Mikuru, and I had fought that giant bug-like anomaly, and explained to me that what we were likely to find in Shinonome was going to make _that_ seem like a walk in the park.

"What Yuki warned you about was correct." Koizumi said to me, "But she was _also_ correct about how we _needed_ to go on this expedition. A possible solution to _all_ the concerns and worries that we've had concerning Miss Suzumiya can be found _here_ – in this alien planet."

As usual, Itsuki's soft yet logical tone was enough to soothe me. My anger hence subsided, and I released him from my grip. With a deep sigh, I collapsed to the sandy ground upon my posterior, as my body literally _ached_ for relaxation and relief. Itsuki hence decided to join me by sitting down next to me, albeit with a much more graceful descent.

"I just don't get it, Koizumi." I started, as I looked off into the limitless hazy horizon, "Wasn't the _whole point_ of the SOS Brigade to _prevent_ Haruhi from learning of the existence of extra terrestrials, time travelers, and espers? And now we _deliberately_ bring her along to what you call an alien world?"

"I know that it's hard to understand, Kyon." he replied, "But… I'm afraid that I can't explain everything in detail yet. A lot needs to happen in a very precise series of events in order for the possible solution to our issues with Miss Suzumiya to be realized. Your awareness of what that precise series of events _is_ might possibly jeopardize their likelihood of occurring."

At this rambling rationale, I could merely exhale a deep sigh.

"I guess I'll just have to trust you again, huh?" I asked rhetorically while turning my head sideways to face him, experiencing increasingly common déjà vu yet again.

"That's right." responded Koizumi with his incredibly friendly smile… but this time betraying by his tone of voice that he was slightly amused by the infuriating situations that I continually find myself in.

"In any event…" he continued, "Let's rest here for a few minutes. I'm pretty sure that we'll soon be to a safe spot out of this desert."

"Is that your esper abilities telling you that?" I asked with a grin.

"You could say that." he replied with a small smile.

"And how about the locations of Haruhi, Mikuru, and Yuki?" I asked in turn, "Do your esper abilities give you any clue concerning _that_?"

"Sadly no." answered Itsuki with the slightest of frowns, "I strongly suspect that they're fine, but it may be awhile before we're reunited with them."

I would later learn that the optimistic portion of Itsuki's suspicions was actually misplaced here. Mikuru, for her part, had found herself on the outskirts of a small village in Durasland, a war-torn nation within the broader Alliance. The people of Durasland were still in great grief and misery, as their nation had endured much destruction, pillaging, and lost of life during the most recent war against the Bugrom Empire. Much of the land was scorched and polluted by the residue of weapons of war. Food was scarce, and building reconstruction efforts proved taxing.

Mikuru, sadly, had found that the money she had with her was useless when she attempted to buy some fruit from a small food stand with a signal operator. Desperate for food, local currency, and shelter, Mikuru had agreed to work as a maid for a small restaurant in the village. Poor beautiful Mikuru would end up stuck in this humble and lonely existence for a few days, before Koizumi and I could find her. However, after a short break and brushing ourselves off in order to continue our trek through the desert, Koizumi and I would soon find a most desperately sought-after oasis in the middle of that desert.

"Koizumi!" I exclaimed in euphoric relief at the sight of the gorgeous oasis encapsulated by a circular wall of lush greenery while pointing in its general direction, "Do you see it, Koizumi?! Thank goodness! Let's get over there right away, Koizumi!"

"Kyon…" responded Koizumi weakly, displaying how the desert conditions had left him in a poor physical state, "Let's not be hasty. We don't know if we're allowed…"

"Oh don't be silly, Koizumi!" I shouted at him, as I started motioning my arms at him in frenzied disbelief, "We're _dying_ from thirst here! We _need_ that water!"

And with that, I began racing wildly towards the oasis! Itsuki merely reached out gingerly towards me in an ineffectual effort to stop my advance.

"_Sigh_" he released below his breath, "Well, at least I tried to warn him…"

"Sparkling wonderful oasis, here I come!" I shouted with more zest than I ever imagined that I could summon forth, while every last erg of strength that I had went towards propelling my soaking with sweat body towards the oasis as fast as my legs could carry me!

Pushing aside two foreboding but startled guards who could merely yell "Hey, mister, you can't go in there!" at me, I refused to be deterred from taking a swim in the fountain inside. Later I would learn that this fountain was the Holy Fountain of Arliman, which typically no man is allowed to enter. Regrettably, I would need to learn the truth of this law the hard way…

"So, Miz, I guess it's looking up for you and the old man, huh?" asked Shayla Shayla, teasingly of her fellow Priestess, who's retirement would soon be at hand, in a conversation that took place about ten minutes before I arrived at the Holy Fountain of Arliman.

"What do you mean 'old man'?" answered Miz with a protesting question of her own.

"Well, he'd _have_ to be old to be interested in _you_, Miz." replied Shayla Shayla with a playful smirk.

"Ha!" responded Miz with a haughty and dismissive laugh, "What do _you_ know? Thanks to these _wondrously_ cleansing, relaxing, and purifying waters, my body doesn't look a day over twenty!"

And indeed, at that moment, Miz Mishtal, Shayla Shayla, and Afura Mann were all enjoying a nude or almost nude dip in the virtual hot springs of the Holy Fountain of Arliman.

"At least _I'm_ able to get the man that _I'm_ interested in." added in Miz, responding to Shayla Shayla's tease with a terribly poignant one of her own.

"Hey now!" responded Shayla Shayla, getting very hot and temperamental, "What in the name of the Eye of God is _that_ supposed to mean?!"

"Oh, I'm sure that even _you_ can figure _that_ out, Shayla…" answered Miz, "Losing the affections of a lovely young man to a missing demon goddess of all things… _quite_ shameful for a Priestess of Mount Muldoon!"

"Ok, that tears it!" snarled Shayla Shayla, getting enraged by Miz, "I'm going to make you eat those words – and those words are going to be very well cooked once _I'm_ done with them!"

"Well that's what you get for always making fun of my age, Shayla!" shouted Miz, "Bring it on!"

With that, the two Priestesses began exchanging powerful bolts of explosive fire with condensed streams of pulsating water. When that proved mutually ineffective, the two Priestesses began to grapple with one another, trying to push each other around, while splashing violently about.

"Ladies… ladies…" began Afura Mann in attempted intercession, while waving her hands in the air, "Can't we just _enjoy_ this for a change? The _last_ time we were here, it got ruined by Makoto showing up in the guise of Princess Fatora. With just us **awesome** Priestesses of Mount Muldoon here, let's just soak up the radiantly refreshing waters, and try to come out of her looking _better_ for it… not _worse_ for wear!"

Surprisingly, Afura managed to get through to Shayla Shayla and Miz this way.

"Hhhmmph!" uttered Miz contemptuously, letting go of Shayla's wrist from her hand, "Very well, Afura. I suppose you have a point."

"Yeah…" responded Shayla, releasing one of Miz's wrists from her grip in turn, "I guess that we _should_ try to get something useful out of this bath for a change…"

After settling down for a bit, the two previously feuding Priestesses began to exchange apologies.

"Sorry for what I said earlier, Miz…" stated Shayla Shayla, "Sensei Fujisawa really is a pretty cool guy. He's always a great guy to go drinking with!"

"While I consider his alcoholism to be his _worst_ feature, I do agree that he's a most dreamy and impressive man!" responded Miz with a most serene smile, "I can't wait to see the sort of family that I can have with a great government worker like him! Oh… and I'm sorry too, Shayla. I'm sure Makoto will get over Ifurita eventually, and he'll notice your feelings for him. What man could _possibly_ resist a Priestess of Mount Muldoon?!"

"Yeah, that's right!" shouted Shayla Shayla in enthusiastic response, "Once we have _our_ men, we'll have to make sure to find somebody nice for Afura to hook up with!"

"Thanks, but no thanks." chimed in Afura, "Like I said earlier, I'm quite happy to be with out men… especially now, in these purifying waters with my two fellow Priestesses!"

"Ha!" laughed Shayla Shayla, "Yeah, good point. Being able to enjoy this with out worrying about a man ogling you is a really nice treat! Why, if a man was to show up now, I'd…"

And that was when I made my entrance into the scene, doing a cannonball jump right into the middle of the pool that the three Priestesses of Mount Muldoon were in. You can probably guess how it went from there…

In case you can't, however, I'll tell you. Water splashed hurriedly in all directions away from my submerging body. Afura Mann had been sitting on the edge of the pool, and hence simply put her hands up, palms facing outwards, to block the incoming water. Miz Mishtal and Shayla Shayla, however, were each sent spiraling backwards, pushed with great pressure by my landing into the pool. They, too, threw up their arms in reflexive action, but not quickly enough to avoid getting their eyes and hair thoroughly drenched. And then, I followed up my jump by floating in sheer ecstasy, temporarily oblivious of anything or anyone around me, except for the mesmerizingly restorative water all about me. At the same time, the three Priestesses all looked at me with slight horror and great tension, being temporarily rendered speechless. Sensing the tension in the air, I moved to a sitting motion, and looked around me. Seeing three slender attractive women all in the buff, with the exception of Afura having a white fluffy towel around her, was almost enough to cause pulsating blood to come flowing from my nose! While natural sexual titillation never drew blood from me, something else soon did…

"**_Why you!_**" screamed Shayla Shayla in supreme anger, bringing a fearsomely loud break to the tension, while she socked me right in the nose, knocking me backwards with great velocity, causing me to hit the back of my head against the water, blood spurting forth from my nose.

"Another perverted man!" cried Miz Mishtal, "Will we _ever_ be free from them?!"

"_I'll_ make us free from them!" shouted Shayla Shayla, grabbing me tightly by the neck as she dragged me up, readying herself to deliver another punch by pulling her free arm backwards for a wind up.

I was seeing stars all around me, and I was thoroughly dazed and confused. It felt like I had actually suffered a minor concussion, and I could vaguely sense drool dripping out ever so slightly from my mouth. I was in no position to defend myself, either with physical action or with words. Thankfully, Koizumi had followed closely behind me, and eagerly pleaded my case.

"Please excuse my overly reckless friend!" he shouted, bowing with great courtesy towards the three Priestesses, "He did _not_ know that this Holy Fountain of Arliman was blocked to all men!"

The three Priestesses sensed sincerity in Itsuki's words, and hence slowly calmed down, as Shayla Shayla released me, and submerged herself up to her neck in order to hide her gorgeous naked breasts from any further exposure to men.

"A likely story!" she shouted, feigning continued outrage, in the hopes that her statement would force Koizumi to reveal more.

"Please believe me for what I say is true." responded Koizumi, "This… may be hard for you to believe, but my friend Kyon and I are not from here… we're not even form this world! We're from another world!"

"Another world?" mused a questioning Afura Mann, "You mean… like Makoto and the others?"

"Makoto… Mizuhara?" stated Koizumi contemplatively to himself, trying to remember the names of the three Shinonome High students that Haruhi had mentioned to him, "Yes… yes! Just like Makoto, we are from a country called _Japan_ on a world called _Earth_!"

"So… some _more_ wanderers from Makoto's world have somehow arrived here on El Hazard!" exclaimed Miz Mishtal in shock, "I have to tell Masamichi about this immediately! He'll be so excited to know this!"

However, the arrival of more wanderers to El Hazard would not be made known to Mr. Fujisawa by Miz Mishtal. _That_ information would be conveyed to him, and to Makoto Mizuhara, by the revered Dean of Roshtaria's Royal Academy, Dr. Schtalubaugh! For just as I had been rushing towards the Holy Fountain of Arliman in desperate need for water, Makoto and Fujisawa had been rushing to meet with Dr. Schtalubaugh about an amazing discovery that he had just made.

"Dr. Schtalubaugh!" Makoto shouted eagerly, but respectfully, to the good Dean as he approached him in a secluded laboratory deep within the palace of Florestica, "Fujisawa and I heard from Londs that you have recently retrieved some information that might help us get back to Earth!"

"I caution you against getting overly optimistic, my boy…" began Schtalubaugh in terse reply, "But what Londs reported to you is essentially correct. Fujisawa, do you recall how you, with your great strength, helped the Royal Academy and myself set up those… large listening posts… a couple weeks ago?"

After taking a deep breath off of his cigarette smoke, Fujisawa replied with a "Yeah, I do. They were a real _pain_ to set up since I had to go _completely_ dry and sober for a couple days just to lift them!"

"Well, your efforts were not in vain!" exclaimed Schtalbaugh in proud response, "For those listening posts have just signaled to me the appearance of four rather unique spacial anomalies!"

"Spacial anomalies?" asked a confused Fujisawa, scratching his head.

"Yeah" interjected Makoto, "Probably like the ones that were caused when you, Nanami, Jinnai, and I all ended up here in El Hazard!"

The full importance of his own words took a second to dawn upon Makoto.

"Oh wait!" he piped up in excitement, "Does that mean that more people from Earth have somehow arrived on El Hazard?!"

"You've likely just answered your own question, my boy!" replied Dr. Schtalbaugh with a smile, before motioning Makoto and Fujisawa to join him in front of a radar-like display screen, "Come, come! Let me show you _exactly_ what it is that we're dealing with here!"

Stationed upon the far wall of the inside of Schtalbaugh's lab was a special display screen that doubled as a map of El Hazard. Schtalbaugh then turned a special dial in order to replay for Makoto and Fujisawa the special readings that the listening posts had shown on the display earlier that same day.

"Look, look!" shouted Dr. Schtalbaugh to Makoto and Fujisawa, "Do you see? At this precise moment seven hours ago, four unique special anomalies occurred simultaneously. One particularly large one took place in the vast desert in which the Holy Fountain of Arliman is located. Three smaller ones occurred in… the outskirts of a small village in Durasland, and… in two places that we don't have much concurrent geographical or geological information on."

"Fascinating…" stated an awestruck Makoto, "This is like something out of a great sci-fi movie!"

"Ah, but this is not _fiction_, my boy…" responded Schtalbaugh, "This is **reality**!"

"That's right." stated Fujisawa firmly, "So we better head off to these four locations quickly! We have to make sure that if there are people who just arrived here from back home on Earth, that they're Ok!"

"… and that they don't cause any trouble either" added in Makoto, thinking of a certain classmate.

"I concur with you both." replied Schtalbaugh, "My suggestion would be to head to the desert first! Anyone who landed there would be in the most dire of straights… _plus_, that is the site of the largest anomaly!"

"Right!" exclaimed Makoto with enthusiasm, "Let's get going then, sensei!"

"Right behind you, kiddo!" replied Fujisawa.

In spite of their efforts, though, Makoto and Fujisawa would not be able to prevent one particularly problematic meeting from occurring…

"Uuunnnhhh… my head!" complained Haruhi Suzumiya, as she began to gradually come to, and slowly rise to her feet.

"W-where am I?" asked Haruhi, as she began to carefully and slowly take in her newfound surroundings.

These surroundings were dimly, but enchantingly, lit. It took awhile for Haruhi's eyes to adjust to the lighting, but once they did, she could tell that she was inside some sort of technologically advanced fortress with sleek, pristine, metallic walls with smooth crevices bore into them. The floor was similarly alien and tantalizing to Haruhi.

"Wow…" she exhaled breathlessly, "This is amazing!"

While totally caught up in her unique surroundings at first, as she slowly moved about them from empty corridor to empty room of similar design but different coloring to empty corridor, Haruhi nonetheless soon felt a slight panic over the awareness that her fellow SOS Brigade members were nowhere to be seen.

"Koizumi? Mikuru? … Yuki?" She began, with the slightest touch of exasperation and worry in her voice, as her head spun about her frantically moving body, trying to look in all directions.

"**Kyon!**" she finally shouted in anger, "Where are all of you?! Get over here now, or I'll… I'll..!"

The tumultuous tethering of sharp anxiety to fervent irritation felt in Haruhi's increasingly racing heart soon subsided once she caught sight of something that truly surprised her.

Just beyond the corridor that she was now in, Haruhi could make out some portions of an astounding figure. This figure looked like a gigantic insect of some sort… vaguely shaped like a massively oversized ant!

With mouth agape in pumped celebration, Haruhi knew that she was looking at an **extra terrestrial **here, for no creature like this one existed on Earth!

"Yes!" she exclaimed in great joy, "I knew there had to be one somewhere! In spite of what that stupid Kyon said, I just knew that extra terrestrials had to exist! Now, I have to know **everything** _about_ this extra terrestrial! He he he…!"

Haruhi dashed at this creature with headlong zeal, crashing into him from behind!

The enormous bug-like entity could only react with what sounded like horrifically garbled French with a tone of unpleasant surprise.

"Who are you?" she asked of him, as her hands began groping him all over, not much unlike how the most sexually frustrated man might grope a submissive but sexually appealing woman, "_What_ are you?! **Tell me!** Tell me everything about you!"

The poor creature started to protest loudly over what could be called a molestation of virtual dissection, as Haruhi meticulously explored every part of him! His eyes welled up large from the arousal that he actually felt over being touched so aggressively by this human female.

"**Come on**!" protested Haruhi, "Don't be shy! He he…"

This was not anger, but sheer infatuation on Haruhi's part. One of her dreams was, after all, coming true. That dream, however, would soon meet with a temporary end…

"As much as I utterly **hate** and _loath_ that accursed arch-nemesis of mine, I have to begrudgingly give him credit…" came a distinctive male voice from behind Haruhi.

"Huh? Who's there?" asked a startled Haruhi, turning about at the sound of a human voice.

"Finding out the location of my new impenetrable fortress" he continued on, "Having a clearly expert Alliance spy somehow infiltrate it. Have her grope at my top Lieutenant to find out all she can about Bugrom physiology. _And_… to top it all off… have her dress in a Japanese school girl uniform in the hopes that it might trick me into thinking that she's another person from Earth lost here in El Hazard! Very, _very_ **clever **and **impressive**, Ma_ko_**to**! A hated, but worthy, adversary that you are! But not worthy enough to fool **ME**!"

With that last line, the Supreme Commander of the Bugrom Empire leaned downwards slightly to look Haruhi Suzumiya eye to eye with narrowed eyes, attempting to intimidate her.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" she replied incredulously.

"Ha ha ha ha!!! You can feign ignorance all you want, _**Alliance spy!**_" he responded, while moving back to a totally upright position, his arms neatly folded, "But you won't pull the wool over the eyes of **Lord God Jinnai**! _Nor_ am I going to allow you to fondle Groucho to death anymore. Harpo! Chico! Zeppo! **Grab her!**"

The sound of rushing Bugrom feet could be heard rustling over the pristine flooring of Katsuhiko Jinnai's latest fortress. In but a few seconds, Haruhi Suzumiya found herself encumbered by numerous Bugrom digits! She had been captured!

"H-hey now!" she began in shock and concern, "You have the wrong idea! I'm no spy! I'm the Commander of the SOS Brigade! I don't know of any Alliance!"

"Mental note…" began Katsuhiko Jinnai to himself, "Roshtaria's intelligence agency is known as _the SOS Brigade_. Hhmmm… catchy name. Too bad it's wasted on a part of the incompetent Alliance!"

"**I'm not part of any Alliance!**" screamed Haruhi Suzumiya.

"You really shouldn't waste your breath like that." Katsuhiko Jinnai said mockingly towards her, "You're going to need to save it considering where _you're_ going!

Bwa-ha-ha-Ha-Ah-Ha-**HAHA****HAHA**_**HAHA**_!!!"

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – The Alliance of Haruhi Suzumiya

Never before had Haruhi Suzumiya felt this much genuine fear and trepidation in her heart. A true palpable sense of serious dread was dawning upon her like the blazing sun that scorched Itsuki and I. She was currently entrapped by three large overpowering creatures, which were at the beck and call of a rather unreasonable Katsuhiko Jinnai. Jinnai's unreasonableness startled Haruhi given what she learned about him prior to visiting the ancient ruins beneath Shinonome High School.

Before venturing forth into those ruins, Haruhi and the SOS Brigade had visited the mother of the Jinnai siblings. Haruhi had us do this since she felt valuable information on two of the four people missing could be gained from their parents. _I_ had felt that the bereaved parents should be left to deal with their grief in peace, but as usual, such sensitivities were no concern of Haruhi's.

Minori Jinnai was a very nice middle-aged woman who made the _most_ scrumptious meals, and she had been so very hospitable to us. Her cheerfulness was downright eerie and worrisome – like a person refusing to accept the death of a loved one _days_ after the missing body is found – but she nonetheless gave us a very good impression of the Jinnai family.

Minori clearly thought highly of _both_ of her children, and that is important to stress.

Nanami, according to Minori, was very well-liked at Shinonome, had such a great mind for finances that she handled all of the grocery budgeting and buying for the family, and hoped to be a top entrepreneur one day. Minori felt that her daughter would go far in life, but she often prodded her daughter to try to find a good man to eventually settle down with. In particular, she had _frequently_ promoted Makoto Mizuhara as the ideal boyfriend for Nanami. Minori was nice, but she probably needed to become a bit more familiar with _reverse psychology_, I felt.

Constantly promoting someone to be friends with, or even a boyfriend or girlfriend with, can cause a sense of rebellion for most teenagers, and often results in the tragic trend of, say, nice girls going for all the delinquents in class. Thankfully, though, this wasn't the case with Nanami, who did indeed start to gravitate towards Makoto… though only after sending love letters to many other male students at her school, as she didn't want her mother making decisions for her.

As for Katsuhiko, he was one of the top students in school, and Minori spoke quite boastfully of this. However, she confided in us that while she was proud of her son's educational accomplishments, she often held up Makoto as a good example for Katsuhiko to strive after, as Makoto always seemed to be just a step above Katsuhiko at least as far as marks were concerned. Still, she spoke of how happy it made her when Katsuhiko was elected Student Council President. She told of us of how she told her son, "Now, finally, you have a notch on your belt that even Makoto doesn't have!"

The father of the family was noticeably absent, and it was clear that he was a cold and distant figure in general. He was a top General in the Japanese navy, and came from a long line of military officers. His involvement in Nanami's life was minimal at best, as Minori's description of him made me think that he was something of a hard-boiled misogynist, frankly.

However, he had high hopes for Katsuhiko. His desire was for Katsuhiko to follow in the footsteps of _all_ male Jinnais by becoming a top ranking military officer, and hence stressed the importance of disciplined soldiers, physical aptitude, resourcefulness, and running a very tight ship. He was pleased with his son's command of military tactics when he grilled him on the subject. He had, however, become frequently outraged with Katsuhiko over his physical frailty. Katsuhiko's performance in one particular school racing event had resulted in a particularly harsh lambasting from father to son.

"_**Why aren't you more in decent shape like **__**Makoto**__** is!"**_ he had shouted at him.

Now that I think of it… it's not hard to see how all of this could _seriously_ screw up a person. Everything Jinnai lacked and wanted, Makoto had in spades… and his parents _hammered_ this home to him, likely having the same psychological impact on Katsuhiko that constantly bringing a hammer down on his head would have on him physically!

It was not hard to gather from what Minori was saying that, around the family table, Katsuhiko _constantly_ had to hear about how great Makoto was. Something like that _has_ to give a person an inferiority complex even larger than Haruhi's ego is. Why do some parents place such pressure on their children like this? Don't they realize the hopelessly envious and perpetually unhappy people that are sure to result from it?

This never crossed Haruhi's one-track mind either, of course. She just thought that Makoto was an all-around great guy… but a bit dull because of it. Nanami sounded like great fun to her, and a likely candidate for handling SOS Brigade finances. Katsuhiko was the hardest one for her to peg, but he sounded like a pretty cool guy to her, his physical shortcomings notwithstanding. She liked how he was a Student Council President, and his unique laugh that his mother mentioned struck Haruhi as funny.

That laugh wasn't striking her as very funny _right now_, though. And her passionate desire to find extra terrestrials had been completely turned on its head, split open, and gutted like a whale. There is a great deal of irony – even perhaps a twisted sort of _poetic justice_ – in the situation that Haruhi finds herself in. Be careful what you wish for, Haruhi, for you might just get it… and _then_ some.

"**Wait!** No… please believe me" she began pleading with Jinnai, "I-I meant no harm to these marvelous creatures that are so **totally cool**! It's **absolutely awesome** how you talk to them, and how they actually listen to you! There's _so much_ I want to learn about how you can do that, and… and…"

"While I deeply appreciate how you recognize my true personal greatness upon your very first meeting with me…" began Jinnai, openly stroking his ego while he placed his hand on his chest and made a proud smiling face, "I'm afraid that flattery alone will not save you. Hhhmmm… attempting such flattery to save yourself was certainly a smart move on your part, though. I don't suppose that you would consider _defecting_ from the Alliance, _would you?_"

With that last line, Jinnai leaned down to stare Haruhi eye to eye once more, making a devilishly sly seductive grin towards her. Jinnai found this supposed "Alliance spy" most intriguing, while Haruhi was both fascinated and unnerved by Jinnai. Nonetheless, she knew what she had to do in order to alleviate her current situation.

"Like I said…" she began in consistent unrelenting reply, "I am **not** part of this Alliance group that you keep talking about! _**But**_… I would **love** to join you, and these extra terrestrials that **totally rock**!"

Jinnai went back to a standing upright position, and began to rub his chin thoughtfully. He was not entirely pleased with Haruhi's answer… but he saw potential there.

"Hhmmm…" he openly mused, "I don't like your continued reluctance to admit that you **are** an Alliance spy! However… your constant complimenting of the Bugrom may prove useful for morale purposes. Groucho… I don't usually value _your_ opinion, but what do _you_ think here? You did meet her first after all."

Groucho made some enthusiastic noises towards Jinnai that Haruhi didn't understand… but she could gather the gist of it from Jinnai's reaction to it.

"Y-you think that she's _**cute and sexy?!**_" replied a bewildered Jinnai.

Haruhi grinned wildly, and chuckled underneath her breath over these words.

"And you think that we should release her?" continued Jinnai, before rushing over to speak more directly to his top Bugrom lieutenant, "Ok, fine, I'll order her released and she may join us… but _never_ fraternize with the enemy again, Groucho!"

"**Yay!**" shouted Haruhi triumphantly as Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo all released her.

Immediately upon being let go, Haruhi practically flew through the air, with her arms outstretched and her face exuding a sheer ecstatic joy! She glomped Groucho with a particularly stimulating show of thanks. Groucho responded to this quite appreciatively as Haruhi rubbed her face next to his.

"_Ugghhh…_" began Jinnai upon seeing this display, "I think that I'm going to be sick!"

"There's no time for that!" shouted Haruhi somewhat cheerfully, as she suddenly released Groucho to stand directly in front of Jinnai.

"Since _you_ understand what these _**exciting to the extreme**_extra terrestrials are saying… but _I_ haven't learned their language yet…" began Haruhi, before thrusting her arm forward at Jinnai with a powerful pointing of her finger, "**You** are going to tell me everything that you know about them!"

"W-what?" responded Jinnai in stumbling startled questioning reply, "_You_ joined _me_ – I didn't join you! You can't order me around!"

"Oh, did I say I was joining you?" replied Haruhi in disingenuous rhetorical question, while grinning mischievously, "Sorry about that. I _really_ meant that you were going to join me! With my _unforgivably irresponsible_ SOS Brigade gone missing on me – and I **will** be giving them all very severe penalties once I catch them! – I'm making **you** the new Vice-Commander of the SOS Brigade!"

"I'm not joining Roshtaria's intelligence agency!" stated Jinnai in fervently angry and incredulous reply, thrusting an arm passionately upwards into the air.

"That's not what the SOS Brigade is!" responded Haruhi, correcting him, "The SOS Brigade is dedicated to searching out every corner of the world… no, not the world; _**the universe!**_ – to find and get to the bottom of every mystery that there is! The SOS Brigade will not stop until we know everything about everything; until we enliven and excite every place around; until we triumph over boredom and deliver a crushing blow to tediousness!"

Katsuhiko Jinnai found Haruhi Suzumiya's _hopelessly_ optimistic and playful rhetoric quite bizarre… at least at first. Then, upon focusing on the phrase "enliven and excite every place around", he naturally filtered the words through his own warped warlord-centric perception of the world around him.

"Oh… I see. Ha ha ha ha!" he laughed, thinking that he understood what Haruhi was _really_ saying when he _really_ didn't, "You're speaking in extremely carefully worded code! That's _good_! Very well then. We can have a special black operations division called _the SOS Brigade_ within the broader Bugrom Empire. You may lead this group, and I will directly oversee it through playing 'Vice-Commander' in incognito!"

"Excellent!" responded Haruhi in maddeningly naïve cheerfulness, as she was getting the _real_ meaning behind Jinnai's words about as well as he was getting the _real_ meaning behind her's, "_Soooo_… with _that_ out of the way, I need you to compile for me a resource manual answering all of the following questions! What are these extra terrestrials called?"

"Bugrom" responded Jinnai.

"Do they each have their own names?" continued Haruhi

"I named them myself" responded Jinnai proudly.

"That's cool!" replied Haruhi, "I would have done exactly the same thing if I found them and they didn't already have names. Ok, what do they eat and drink?"

"Um…" began Jinnai, trying to remember the name for the food and drink that the Bugrom consumed.

Haruhi, now besides herself in desperate inquisitive desire, began pacing around in a circle right in front of Jinnai, raising a finger for each question that she could think of. Unfortunately for Jinnai, she was able to think of such questions rather quickly.

"When do they sleep? How much sleep do they need? Why are they in such a superb smorgasbord of different shapes, sizes, and colors? What internal organs do they have? Do they have internal organs different from ours? Do they mate with one another? How do they procreate? Do they have any cool-looking spaceships?! Can they travel between planets?! Can they…" she continued in an unrelenting barrage of questions, practically interrogating Jinnai.

Getting a very good sense of what _I_ go through regularly, Jinnai started to nervously back away, with beads of stressful sweat seeping down his strenuously furrowed brow. His mouth was open in horror at the sight of what seemed like a demon in the form of a teenage girl! He started to seriously wonder what he had got himself into. So did Itsuki and myself, as we talked about El Hazard with the Three Priestesses after they dressed and we all gathered just outside of the Holy Fountain of Arliman.

"So there's no internet, computers, or even TVs on your world?" I began in question of the three Priestesses.

"Sorry, bud" responded Shayla Shayla, "I've never even heard of them before."

"Or baseball… or schools?" I continued.

"Baseball, no." answered Miz Mishtal, "But there _is_ a royal academy in Roshtaria's capitol city of Florestica."

"Is that the only… school or academy you have on… El Hazard?" I asked in follow-up question.

"Um… well, let's see…" replied Afura Mann, rubbing her chin thoughtfully, "Well, there is the place that we Priestesses go to train."

"Yeah! Those were good times, weren't they, Afura?!" asked Shayla Shayla, energized greatly by such memories being raised to the fore.

"You and I had all the best practice fights, Shayla!" responded Afura with a wide smile, "Though it sometimes felt that we were _seriously_ trying to kill each other back then, I think that we're good friends now and were made stronger for it."

Potentially homicidal priestesses with great elemental power… and a pretty good right hook, in Shayla Shayla's case at least. _Just lovely_, I thought to myself. Not only that, but enjoyable activities may be in very short supply. As much as it amazed myself to do so, I started to focus on the sort of activities that _Haruhi_ might enjoy…

"Ok…" I interjected, "So you don't have many schools here. Are there any great sites to see in El Hazard at least? Any famous places?"

"Oh, El Hazard has loads of _those_!" piped up Shayla Shayla, "First of all there's the mesmerizing Mount Muldoon! That's where the home for we three priestesses is found!"

"It's tremendously tall and treacherous." continued Afura Mann, "Most of the mountain's surface is vertical, making it very dangerous to climb. In fact… if I'm not mistaken… Miz's fiancé Masamichi Fujisawa is the only man to ever climb the entire mountain and live to tell the story!"

"**Isn't he such a man?!**" exclaimed Miz Mishtal, excitedly and dreamily.

"Masamichi Fujisawa…" stated Koizumi contemplatively, "He's the sensei from Shinonome High… er, perhaps I should say from _Earth_… that came to El Hazard, correct?"

"That's right" answered Afura Mann, "His heroics were instrumental in our victory over the Bugrom Empire in the last war."

'A normal guy from Earth making a difference in a war involving elemental priestesses… that's _strange_.' I thought to myself.

"Heroics?" mused Koizumi more openly, "How was he able to help?"

"Sensei Fujisawa is the strongest guy I know!" exclaimed Shayla Shayla in a pumped reply, "He even defeated a giant grotesque Bugrom!"

"_I see_…" stated Itsuki, before he turned to whisper to me, "Kyon… do you know what this might mean?"

"That this sensei from Shinonome High is on the sauce? The _steroid_ sauce, if you catch my drift?" I asked in turn.

"I think that the truth behind his heroics will prove to be more intriguing than that, Kyon." responded Koizumi, before turning his attention back to the Three Priestesses of Mount Muldoon, "Well, sorry for all the questions! It's just that as lost travelers from another world, we _really do_ need to find out _all that we_ can about El Hazard!"

"Think nothing of it" replied Afura Mann, "It was… _pleasing_ to share all of our wondrous stories about El Hazard with you and your friend."

"Yeah" quickly added in Shayla Shayla, "You guys aren't as bad as I first thought! Just don't go jumping into a pool with naked women in it again… _got that_?"

Shayla Shayla made that last line while leaning in heavily on me, and looking me fiercely eye to eye while making what I could only call an oddly threatening smile.

"D-don't worry." I responded, "I'm usually much more cautious than that, and I deeply apologize for it. The heat exhaustion and strong desire for water must of brought out my more reckless side."

"Oh, don't worry about it!" stated Miz Mishtal, with a dismissive wave of her right hand, "You and your friend have helped to make our day. We so _rarely_ get to talk to interesting strangers in our chosen vocations. Speaking of you being strangers… what are your names again, just so I can keep it straight?"

"I'm Itsuki Koizumi, and my friend here is Kyon." Answered Koizumi on our behalf, "We were also accompanied here by three teenaged girls named Haruhi Suzumiya, Mikuru Asahina, and Yuki Nagato."

"Unfortunately, they must have all arrived at different places in El Hazard from where Itsuki and I did." I quickly added in.

"The same thing happened to the people from your world that joined Makoto and Fujisawa." stated Afura Mann, "I trust that these three young women you mentioned are probably dressed much like Nanami was when we first met her."

"Oh, I don't know about _that_, Afura" came the voice of the young woman in question.

"Nanami!" piped up Miz Mishtal, as she caught sight of her walking towards us.

"And Makoto and Fujisawa" added on Afura Mann, as Makoto and Fujisawa was right behind her.

"Uunnnhhh…" added in Shayla Shayla, as though coming down with a headache, "But they just _had_ to bring _the insufferable shrimp_ and her _lesbian lover Princess_ with them, _didn't they_?!"

"**Hey!**" came the hurt voice of one Alielle, just before rushing over to play with Shayla Shayla the way that Haruhi plays with Mikuru, "Don't say that, big sister Shayla! You _know_ I only have eyes for _you_!"

"**Ha**!" laughed Princess Fatora contemptuously, "You're about as faithful as that damn cat Ura who took _forever_ to rescue me is! Though I have to admit that _I myself _was hoping that the new humans from Earth that we'd be meeting here would prove to be female!"

Though Fatora was openly displeased at the manhood of myself and Itsuki, I had to admit that I liked her openness and frankness.

"Their gender isn't what matters, Princess!" shouted a young male from around my age, rushing over to greet Itsuki and I after taking up the rear of this motley crew, "The _main_ thing is that Dr. Schtalbaugh was right! There _are_ more humans here from Earth. Nice to meet you both! I'm Makoto Mizuhara!"

Makoto Mizuhara bowed impressively in our direction, and hence Itsuki and I made a slight bow in turn.

"Nice to meet you as well, Makoto!" Koizumi responded, "I'm Itsuki Koizumi, and this is Kyon. We've already heard a fair deal about you from the Three Priestesses!"

"Mostly good, I hope!" he added in, "So… how are you both doing? Landing in the desert must have been really rough!"

"Enough so that it caused a little incident inside…" chimed in Afura Mann with a slight chuckle beneath her breath.

"Oh, how I wish I was here for _that_!" shouted Fatora.

"_Yeah…_" added in Alielle, as she started to move about like a school girl in love, "Seeing the three Priestesses like _that_ again would be _soooo_ heavenly!"

At this point, I was starting to wonder if _all_ the women of El Hazard were lesbians. I suspect that Haruhi will fit in here _just fine_… I started to deeply worry about poor Mikuru though.

"_Anyway…_" interjected Nanami, tried of trying to fit in a word edgewise, "_As I was saying before…_ it's possible that one of your female friends from Earth is no longer wearing a typical student uniform for girls. Or, at the very least, that the student uniform in question may be covered up with something else… like a waitress uniform!"

"Why's that?" I asked, with this statement piquing my interest and causing me even greater concern for the lovely Asahina.

"When I first arrived in El Hazard, I was forced to work as a waitress in order to survive" stated Nanami, "The same fate may have befallen one of your friends!"

"Unfortunately, it _is_ possible" added in Makoto, "And _that's_ why we can't afford to spare much time in journeying off to the other locations that Dr. Schtalbaugh found spacial anomalies at."

"Exactly" stated Sensei Fujisawa, "I can not rest as long as _any_ student is in need of assistance… even if it's not one from my own school!"

"That's my Masamichi!" chimed in Miz Mishtal enthusiastically.

"Besides…" began Fatora, "I simply can't _wait_ to meet these three new Earth girls!"

"If they're as cute as _Nanami_ is, _I'll_ be overjoyed as well!" stated Alielle, suddenly letting go of Shayla Shayla to wrap her arms around Nanami's waist while rubbing her head against Nanami's breasts.

"Wow…" I couldn't help but state, "Are those two like that _all the time_?!"

"You'll get use to them over time" stated Makoto with a nervous smile.

"_Not that you'll have any choice_" added in Nanami in a slightly too loud whisper, annoyed by Alielle's overly forward affections but clearly determining that actively resisting them would be pointless.

"What was that, Nanami?!" asked Fatora somewhat angrily.

"O-oh n-nothing!" she replied dishonestly and nervously.

At this point, I could tell that this mostly bubbly and chaotic and colorful group would _hardly_ present much break from the usual weirdness of Haruhi Suzumiya and her SOS Brigade activities. No, _that_ particular curse was now the providence of one Katsuhiko Jinnai. As Itsuki and I parted company from the three Priestesses, and joined the crew of Makoto Mizuhara, Masamichi Fujisawa, Nanami Jinnai, Princess Fatora, and Alielle upon a most unique flying vessel that _barely_ had enough space for the seven of us, the elder Jinnai sibling was barely finding enough space upon which to write the _special assignment_ that Haruhi had given him.

"_One hundred pages_…" he began in tried amazement, "To think that I've already wrote out _one hundred pages_ worth of 'Bugrom resource manual' for this _crazy_ new ally of mine!"

"Mr. Jinnai" came the distinguished voice of Diva, Queen of the Bugrom, as she intruded upon Jinnai in his personal strategic war room, "Is there something bothering you, Mr. Jinnai?"

"Only the _impossible wishes_ of an _impertinent girl_, Diva!" he replied in frustration.

"Impertinent girl?" mused Diva in response, "Do you mean Miss Suzumiya?"

"Who else _could_ I mean?" he replied in aggravated rhetorical question.

"Well, she _is_ a bit of an _odd_ sort, it's fair to say." Began Diva, gently placing her right hand upon Jinnai's weary shoulders, "But then, so are _you_, Mr. Jinnai."

"Huh?" replied Katsuhiko Jinnai, startled by what appeared to be an insult from the Bugrom Queen herself, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, you and Miss Suzumiya both possess an unique… charisma" began Diva in answer, "You both have a certain… _**zeal**_. An _uncommon commanding presence_ combined with unusual optimism that we Bugrom find _most_ appealing."

Katsuhiko Jinnai mediated on these words briefly.

"Yes… I suppose you may have a point, Diva." Jinnai responded, "Well… I guess it _was_ high time that I made something like this 'Bugrom resource manual' _anyway_. After all, it _was_ only through learning more about the Bugrom that I was able to train them to create a **Super Bugrom**!"

"Precisely." stated Diva, allowing her graceful hand to slide off of Jinnai's shoulder as she turned to meet him face to face, "And, likewise, Miss Suzumiya is currently training the Bugrom with other useful techniques. I believe she called them… _dodge ball_, and _hide and seek_."

Jinnai couldn't contain himself any more at these words. He began laughing uproariously, tears falling from his eyes. Diva had grown use to such laughter from 'Mr. Jinnai', and hence did not so much as flinch at it.

"She _is_ unique, isn't she?" asked Katsuhiko Jinnai rhetorically about Haruhi Suzumiya, "Hhmmm… _still_…"

With that, Jinnai rose from his chair and desk, and began to walk about the room, losing himself in thought.

"Those activities, while very simple games, could help the Bugrom to become better soldiers" he began, "Expertise at _hide and seek_ can turn to expertise at _reconnaissance_. Expertise at _dodge ball_ can turn to expertise at evading rapid weapon fire! _Yes_… I do believe that I see the method behind Haruhi Suzumiya's madness now!"

Then Jinnai's eyes narrowed devilishly, as he purposely made the most evil of grins that he could manage.

"_Yes…_" he continued, in a sinister tone, "Haruhi's methods will bring me one. step. _closer._ to my perfect revenge on _you_, **Mizu~**_**hara**_! Bwa-ha-ha-Ha-Ah-Ha-**HAHA****HAHA**_**HAHA**_!!!"

Katsuhiko Jinnai would not be the _only_ threat to the peace of El Hazard, or the well-being of Makoto Mizuhara, however. For while Haruhi had tragically landed into his lair, another SOS member found herself lost to a long-forgotten hidden alien race on El Hazard with more destructive designs than anything that even the likes of Haruhi or Jinnai could conceive of!

I had learned that El Hazard lacked the internet, TVs, or computers. This is true on a _societal_ level. But, just as on Earth, there were elites on El Hazard – special people who placed themselves _higher_ than others, and who had gained access to technology unavailable to the average guy like myself.

To a limited extent, Jinnai was one such person on _El Hazard_ due to his unending search for weapons of mass destruction and advanced bases from which to launch them and amass his forces.

To a _greater_ extent, the higher echelons of the Roshtarian royal academy had access to such advanced technology.

But one particular and small group of people living on El Hazard had the most advanced technology of them all, as I would eventually learn. They were a _shadowy_ group who lived as a closed-knit insular _tribe_…

The newest leader of this _Shadow Tribe_ entered into a much secluded laboratory, firmed with three feet thick walls of the toughest metallic alloys on all of El Hazard. He looked about this lair, to see strange psychedelic lights shining down from its ceiling, and elaborate manned control panels through out. And then his gaze focused intently on a suspended animation chamber… an insidious and ghastly sight that told of how inhumane the Shadow Tribe could be.

"How is she?" he asked firmly, and straightforwardly.

"All of her medical readings are healthy and stable…" answered the lead scientists in this laboratory of shadowy horror, "No, in fact, they're _better_ than that. She is more fit than anybody else that I've seen… anybody since _Ifurita_, anyway."

"So…" continued this Shadow Tribe leader with a slight smile, "Does she resemble Ifurita in _other_ ways, I wonder?"

"Well, her design is very much unlike Ifurita's" stated the lead scientist, "At least, I suspect that her _initial_ design was. Reports say that when she was first located at that nearby spacial anomaly that parts of her exterior flesh was actually _charred_ off, revealing advanced electronics glittering underneath. But from what our spies have learned about her fellow journeyers, it can be safely assumed that those electronics are _Earth_ designs, and not _El Hazard_ ones."

"As the newest Lord of the Shadow Tribe, I obviously already know that, Professor…" this Lord responded impatiently, "Please restrict your spoken observations to _new_ data."

"As you wish" replied the lead scientist, "Simply put, then, this young girl had her… data, I guess you could say… mysteriously _corrupted_ through travelling from Earth to El Hazard. Her memory banks, for example, have almost entirely eroded. However, her body is miraculously healing itself… and more besides. Her body is gradually taking upon itself the features… and internal schematics… and design elements of a Demon God!"

This made the Shadow Tribe leader smile widely.

"Perfect" he stated, "She will be the ideal instrument in avenging Lord Galus' death, and in setting in motion our master plan. _Soon_ the Shadow Tribe's highest dreams will be achieved. _Soon_, this accursed planet will be no more!"

And with that, Lord Nahato made his exit, content that his plans would unfurl with out flaw, and that Yuki Nagato would ensure that Lord Galus' nihilistic dreams would become reality…

**To be continued…**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – The First Night of Haruhi Suzumiya

Itsuki and I had been thrown about, as if by the cruel and hateful winds of fate, from scorching dehydrating desert to the fist of Shayla Shayla to cramped seating on a flying vessel named _the Camerock_ that left cold winds blowing through our hair. However, Haruhi Suzumiya had found her first day on El Hazard _much_ more enjoyable than that. In fact, she had found it quite exciting and thrilling and fun.

Encountering the Bugrom Empire represented the culmination of years of dreams for Haruhi, and hence it's not surprising that during her first night of sleep in El Hazard, she now dreamed of her new Bugrom Empire allies and friends. She dreamed of riding atop of Groucho as he raced through her school back on Earth, with all of the other students watching in open mouth awe. She dreamed of sharing laughs with Katsuhiko Jinnai while her and her bugrom friends bested the Computer Club President and his club members in yet another one of his futile challenges. But… even in her dreams… there were yet two more things that Haruhi yet longed and wished for, as she is infamously hard to please.

Finding and befriending _actual extra terrestrials_ was the coolest thing ever for Haruhi… but with _that_ now accomplished, Haruhi's insatiable hunger for ever greater mysteries and turns of events made her wish that _she herself_ was a bugrom. Haruhi had only met Queen Diva briefly, but she found Diva quite beautiful and enchanting. How Haruhi wished that she could have some of Diva's features, as well as the degree of respect that Diva commanded of the bugrom.

As these questionable thoughts and dreams filled Haruhi's mind, _my_ mind would soon be filled with all the details of what had occurred in El Hazard since Makoto Mizuhara and his friends arrived here.

"So…" I began, "How have you found your time in El Hazard?"

"A bit tumultuous…" replied Makoto Mizuhara, "But also very exciting and fun. El Hazard has so many magnificent mysteries just waiting to be discovered and explored! One such mystery, for example, is how travelling to El Hazard somehow bestowed a special unique power upon each of the four of us from Shinonome that are now in El Hazard."

"_Really?_" I asked, somewhat skeptical of this, before my mind dragged me back to what the Three Priestesses had told me about Sensei Fujisawa, "What powers did each of you get?"

"Jinnai has the ability to communicate with the bugrom." Makoto replied, "I was gifted with the ability to… manipulate, I guess you would say… all technology that is from El Hazard. Sensei Fujisawa was blessed with incredible super-strength!"

"As long as he stays sober and doesn't smoke" interjected Nanami, while Koizumi made a knowing glance my way as if to say 'I told you so, Kyon!', "As for myself, I have the ability to detect the deadly and stealthy Shadow Tribe, and any hidden weapons that they may hold."

"Yeah!" piped up Makoto, at the mention of Nanami's power, "If it wasn't for you, Nanami, I'd probably be dead right now!"

"O-oh, it was nothing, Makoto." responded Nanami somewhat uneasily, clearly showing that she had a bit of a crush on him, "I was just glad to help! If not for _you_, Makoto, the Bugrom Empire would be ruling El Hazard now… or even worse, Galus would have destroyed it!"

"_**D-destroyed it?!**_" I responded, stunned to learn of this apparent madman who wanted to disintegrate an entire world.

"Don't worry about it, Kyon" stated Makoto with a slight smile, "Galus was soundly defeated through a great team effort."

"That's right" added in Nanami, "And with _me_ here, we're ready for any shenanigans that Galus and his Shadow Tribe might be up to!"

I personally never found this very comforting. In addition to the constant threat of what would happen if Haruhi became bored looming over me, I now had to worry about a carefully hidden group like the _Shadow Tribe_ that doesn't need boredom to make _them_ want to destroy the world…

"Now what _I_ want to know." stated Nanami, motioning towards me with a friendly smile and excited look on her face, "Is what powers _you and your friend_ might have picked up while journeying to El Hazard!"

"That's right!" exclaimed a startled Makoto, as this possibility had not dawn upon him yet, "It should be really cool to find out what powers you guys have acquired! Do you feel any stronger… or of sharper mind… or of increased flexibility, maybe?"

"Maybe you can turn invisible!" shouted Nanami, "It would be really awesome if we could beat the Shadow Tribe at their own game."

"I'm… afraid that I feel the same as I did when Itsuki and I were last on Earth" I stated a bit prematurely, "No… wait, I _do_ feel a bit different!"

I began to perceive within me what I could only describe as a sixth sense of sorts to go with the normal five. This was not an esper ability like Koizumi's though… nor was it anything of a supernatural or metaphysical nature. No, this was very concrete. Concrete… _**like metal!**_

Suddenly, the grappling hook and line that mountain climbing Fujisawa had in his provisions bag leapt out at me like a snake!

"_Aaaaahhhhh!!!_" I screamed in startled surprise, and while closing my eyes, suspecting that it would strike hard against me.

However, after closing my eyes, I could tell that all eyes were suddenly upon me… or at least focused on a point in my general direction. As my body clearly didn't register any hard impact being made against me, I slowly began to open my eyes.

"_Neat…_" stated a startled Nanami, as she was clearly looking at Fujisawa's metallic grappling hook just floating in the middle of the air directly in front of me, "You… you've been given some sort of magnetic ability!"

"That's perfect!" chimed in Makoto, "That power is a perfect compliment to my own!"

"Yeah!" added in an excited Sensei Fujisawa, pumping a fist up to his chest in excitement over my newly discovered power, "With _your_ power, Kyon, I can't wait to bring you mountain climbing with me!"

"H-here's your grappling hook back, Sensei Fujisawa." I stated, while motioning my hand in such a way as to have the grappling hook land neatly into Fujisawa's hand, "And as for the mountain climbing offer… who knows, maybe it would be kind of interesting to test these new powers out by trying to use them to climb a mountain!"

"That is a great idea, Kyon!" chimed in Koizumi, "There's no telling what alien metal ores that your powers may be able to sense, and locate, within Mount Muldoon! As for my own new found powers…"

Itsuki suddenly began to light all up, like a deep purple colored incandescent light. He also started hovering slightly above the flooring of the Camerock that we were flying upon – taking special care to also match the Camerock's flight through the air, however. I had seen Itsuki like this before, so it didn't startle me. This was the first time I've seen him like this outside of a Haruhi-created enclosed space, however.

"Unbelievable!" exclaimed Nanami, "You can fly _and_ shine brightly like that! How is it that you got _two_ powers, huh?"

"Actually, they are not powers so much as they are abilities…" responded Koizumi, "Abilities linked to a… new _extra sensory perception _power that I felt within me since landing in El Hazard."

Itsuki was deliberately playing coy here, which signaled that he likely felt that it was not yet time to fully reveal _everything_ about himself, and hence about Haruhi by extension, to our newfound friends.

"Your arrival on El Hazard…" began Sensei Fujisawa, "And the new powers that it has gifted you with, will be great news for El Hazard! While I'm sure you may be longing for home as I did when I first arrived on this alien world, I've since learned to care about many of the wonderful people that live here, and I hope that you do too."

"Such as Priestess Miz, huh Sensei?" asked Nanami rhetorically, grinning a little bit his way.

"…Miz is a very nice woman" responded Sensei Fujisawa, telling me that he had grown largely comfortable to her affections, and his growing relationship with her, "So, yes, she's definitely a big part of what I've come to care about that's here on El Hazard. But as far as Kyon and Koizumi's powers are concerned, I'm thinking about the use they could be in rebuilding the many destroyed schools and other places of learning within the Alliance nations!"

"Destroyed schools?" I asked, startled to hear of this given what the Three Priestesses had told me before, "From what I had heard from the priestesses, it sounded like there were hardly any schools at all on El Hazard!"

"Well, in a way… they're partly right" commented Makoto, "The last war between the Alliance and the Bugrom Empire was a very fierce and brutal one, which saw a great deal of tragic collateral damage become inflicted upon us. Included in that was the incendiary demolishing of a vast number of schools. Given how demanding their vocations are, the Priestesses likely haven't had a chance yet to take a full accounting of which schools are still standing, and which schools were destroyed."

"So they didn't try to guess at which ones might still be left standing." I replied, "I have to admit that it kind of makes sense for them not to make such guesses… though they could have told us what you just did."

"The priestesses… feel a great deal of personal guilt and shame over not preventing more of the destruction that the Bugrom Empire imparted upon the Alliance nations" stated Makoto in a somber tone, "They usually hide it very well, but… Nanami, Fujisawa, and I have picked up on it at times. The lost of the schools, in particular, hits Miz _very_ hard since she knows how much that destruction wounds Sensei Fujisawa. "

"It's so terribly senseless and tragic!" exclaimed Sensei Fujisawa, becoming a bit animated over the topic at hand, "All those poor pitiable students denied that most important starting point in life! All of those kids that have to journey all the way to Florestica just to try to get a good education; the bedrock of a successful life! **Oh the humanity of it all…!**"

"You've been a big help there, though, Sensei" stated Makoto with a smile, "During the days, you've worked tirelessly as an educator for all of the misplaced students, while in the evenings you work equally hard trying to rebuild destroyed schools!"

"Thanks, Makoto, it's nice to know my efforts are not in vain!" exclaimed Sensei Fujisawa, having been effectively cheered up by Makoto, "And hopefully, if we all work together, we can restore El Hazard to the way it's meant to be."

"Amen to that, Sensei!" stated Makoto cheerfully.

"Kyon and I will be glad to do what we can, Sensei Fujisawa" added in Koizumi, "Your cause is very right and noble, and the SOS Brigade would be remiss if we didn't do our best to help out! I'm sure Haruhi Suzumiya would share my sentiments if she was here with us right now."

"But she's _not_ here, unfortunately…" interjected Makoto, "So while I'm sure Sensei Fujisawa and I deeply appreciate your offer of help, our first priority is to help you and Kyon recover your friends!"

Makoto Mizuhara, Sensei Fujisawa, and Nanami Jinnai had their quirks and peculiarities… but I had to admit that they struck me as very good people – maybe a bit _too_ self-sacrificing if anything. But, after enduring the endless demands of Haruhi, meeting folks like these three was very refreshing. I could only hope that Haruhi herself, as well as Mikuru and Yuki had met with similarly good people. Of course, I would later learn that this was largely not the case. Haruhi and Yuki had ended up aligned with megalomaniacs and nihilists, respectfully, while Mikuru was starting to learn to cope with life as a restaurant worker at the _Boudicastra Bistro_ of Durasland.

"I'll have a _Shrinorrifictor Surprise_, with _voutine_ on the side." came the order of one young uniquely well-dressed gentleman.

"Yes sir" responded Mikuru cheerfully, "D-do you want anything to drink with that?"

"Hhmmmm…" he mused, "A glass of that excellent new cocktail, _the bugrom blood_, sounds nice!"

"Right on it sir!" replied Mikuru, bowing gracefully at him, causing him to be startled.

_A few minutes later…_

"I'll have _Roshtarian Roast_ with extra mulan bread and a large mug of _Ocealander Ale_!" shouted one man, holding up his hand to draw Mikuru's attention.

"No problem!" responded Mikuru, before retrieving him his meal.

_And a minute later…_

"_Porkactus Delight_ sounds simply delectable!" exclaimed one woman draped in jewelry and the finest of linens, "I'll have it with your finest soup and a wine glass of sparkling spring water, young lady!"

"F-finest soup?" responded Mikuru, "Um… well, I-I… I don't know what that is!"

"_**Y-you don't know what that is**_?!" she exclaimed in displeased shock and surprise, "Is _this_ the sort of service that the famous _Boudicastra Bistro _is now offering its patrons?!"

"I-I'm sorry, ma'am!" stated a startled Mikuru, becoming a bit frightful by the woman's anger, "I'll ask the Manager about it right away, and make sure you get what you want!"

"Please see to it!" shouted the displeased patron.

Mikuru rushed away hurriedly, with tears trickling discreetly down her eyes. The _Boudicastra Bistro's_ Manager Oliver Saturn had taken notice of that last little scene, and approached Mikuru about it as she was delivering the order to the cooks.

"What's our finest soup?" asked Mikuru of the cooks, a bit sheepishly, as she strangely felt a bit ashamed for not knowing.

"It's the _Fujisawa-Mizuhara_, a tribute to two of the heroes who helped save us from the Bugrom Empire and the Shadow Tribe!" replied Head Cook Alderak, "A lot of patrons simply call it _'your finest soup'_ since its earned that distinction… and also since, frankly, the name _Fujisawa-Mizuhara_ is not one that all customers feel easy to pronounce."

"I-I see." stated Mikuru, "Well, that's what one customer wants along with a _Porkactus Delight_ and… a wine glass of sparkling spring water!"

"No problem!" replied the Head Cook, "We should have that ready in about fifteen minutes."

'_Phew_' thought Mikuru to herself, 'Being a waitress can be hard work! But I'm going to do it with all my heart! I'm going to get through this and see all of my SOS Brigade friends again!'

"_Hey…_" came the low guttural voice of Oliver Saturn as he took Mikuru firmly by the arm, "You handled that situation pretty well considering that you didn't know what our finest soup was."

"T-thank you, sir!" replied Mikuru, "I always make sure to do my best!"

"Then _also_ make sure you know all about our full menu from now on!" he shouted, showing how he was also a bit displeased with Mikuru, "Got that?!"

"Y-y-yes sir!" responded Mikuru, "I'll make sure to study our menu thoroughly after we close tonight."

"Good" responded Oliver, "Now get back to work!"

While Mikuru was adjusting to life in El Hazard, Nanami Jinnai was wondering about her real home back in Shinonome, Japan.

"So… since we told you all about El Hazard…" began Nanami, clearly about to ask me a question, "I was wondering if you could tell us how it's going back on Japan? Has anything changed back there?"

"Well, not a whole lot has changed…" I answered, scratching my head, in a failed attempt to think of something to say that could possibly comfort my fellow Earthling stranded on an alien world, "But then, it's only been two and a half weeks, so…"

"_**Two and a half weeks?!**_" shouted Nanami and Makoto Mizuhara simultaneously, clearly shocked by my statement here.

"Yeah, just two and a half weeks" I reiterated, "Why? Did it seem longer to you?"

"I'm pretty sure that Nanami, Sensei Fujisawa, Jinnai, and I have been here _months_ now", answered Makoto, "At least… going by the number of sunsets and sunrises that we've seen since we've arrived on El Hazard, it's been months."

"That's interesting." I said in a tone that betrayed that my actual interest in the time differential was only mild, as I had _another_ thought on my mind, "Maybe days here on El Hazard are shorter than they are back on Earth. Or maybe time flows at a different pace. Anyway… since you mentioned Jinnai, I was wondering… why isn't he with you guys?"

"**Ha!**" laughed Nanami contemptuously at the question, "Like my _no-good rotten brother_ would do anything _normal_ and _sane_ like hang out with Makoto and me! No, _he'd_ rather go befriend a bunch of gross, icky, gigantic bugs and actually wage a crazy war against the _human_ nations of El Hazard!"

"Huh?" I asked, caught completely by surprised by this revelation, "_He's_ the one behind those war atrocities you were telling me about earlier? Are you serious?!"

"Yeah, she is… unfortunately" answered Makoto, with a clearly sad and regretful tone to his voice, "In addition to what Nanami said, Katsuhiko also wants me _dead_, and has made that known to me in no uncertain terms _numerous_ times."

"Yeah, and if _those_ murderous intentions weren't enough…" added in Nanami, clearly getting enflamed and impassioned over the discussion, "The last time we met Katsuhiko, he was pretending to be all _sad_ and _sorry_ and _regretful_… everybody else here actually _bought_ that pathetic little performance, but **I** knew it was just another part of one of his messed-up schemes! Katsuhiko is a liar and a cheat and a manipulator and a murderous scoundrel… and a… _**Ooohhhhh**_, he makes so **angry** that I could just…!"

Makoto and I both started to laugh nervously at Nanami's outburst, while Masamichi and Itsuki were distracted from their own conversation that they were having by it.

"Nanami…" stated Sensei Fujisawa, placing a soft hand on her shoulder, "It's not _all_ your brother's fault. I… I must have failed him as a Sensei somewhere along the line for him to turn out like this!"

Having met Katsuhiko's parents, I very much doubted that Masamichi Fujisawa had much to do with it. I could tell that he was a sensei that had a habit of shouldering too much responsibility. That was commendable in a way, but I hope that it didn't give him a guilt-ridden conscience. Apparently, Nanami shared my sentiments here.

"You're a great Sensei!" shouted Nanami in turn, "It's not your fault at all. My brother is just a _natural ne'er-do-well_. He doesn't have a signal good bone in his entire body!"

"Wow…" Itsuki Koizumi stated, "Don't you think that you're being a bit harsh?"

"What makes you think that?" responded Nanami, "You haven't even met Katsuhiko yet! I hope that you never have to meet that _warped weasely warmonger_… but if you do, you'll come to see him just the way that I do!"

"It's true that I haven't met your brother" responded Itsuki, "But I believe that every human has at least _some_ potential for good in him or her. No person is entirely good or entirely bad. Within each of us is the quality of yin and yang – a perpetual pulling between the heightened conscience of the superego and the base drives of the id. Even for people who are seemingly ruled by their id, there must be a superego buried somewhere deep within their psyche. The key is to carefully exact it through diligent application of empathy and understanding. Beyond that, of course, it helps to construct events and settings that lend themselves to bringing forth the _positive_ characteristics of a person – such as, for example, the time when Haruhi Suzumiya, a friend of Kyon and I, filled in for ENOZ at a rock concert."

Itsuki's words were softly spoken and beautifully rendered, as always… but also just as mesmerizing as a hypnotist's swinging watch. I had grown use to such philosophical discussion and debate with Koizumi, but I could tell that Makoto and Nanami _weren't_. Makoto's face betrayed a phasing out of sorts while he blinked nervously. Nanami simply raised a skeptical eyebrow over Itsuki's words.

"Wow… your new powers are really cool and all … but you're also a bit weird" she couldn't help but say, albeit with out any touch of resentment in her voice – more of a sense of apathetic dismissing to go with a dismissing wave of her hand as she turned away from Itsuki.

"Ah ha…" laughed Itsuki uneasily, rubbing the back of his head and squinting his eyes while smiling nervously, "I tend to get that a lot, yeah."

"For what it's worth, Koizumi…" stated Makoto, "I think that I know what you mean. Jinnai used to be my friend… if only there was a way to reach him."

"You can't change people, kiddo" chimed in Princess Fatora, "So you're better off not trying. Alielle and I aren't going to change for anybody, and nor will your crazy former friend from Earth."

"That's right! I'll _always_ be the same for _you_, _**~Princess Fatora~**_…" stated Alielle in the sweetest voice that she could manage, while feeling up the Princess as best as her small stature could allow given that both were standing.

"It's nice to finally hear you two say something." I stated, finding a great deal of truth in Fatora's assessment of people, "What have you two been doing during the first hour of this flight to Durasland?"

"Oh, just talking about all the fun we're going to have once we meet those three new girls from Earth!" replied Fatora playfully, and a genuine tone of anticipation, "Speaking of those girls, I don't suppose that our new male friends from Earth could tell us anything about them, could they?"

"You and Haruhi should get along fine." I began to state playfully myself while grinning, enjoying the thought of the two lesbian nymphomaniacs getting a touch of their own medicine, "Haruhi likes to dress up cute girls in bunny costumes and maid costumes. Alielle seems just the right size for a bunny costume."

"**Hey!**" shouted Alielle, suspecting that this was a joke at her expense, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, well, _well…_" came the voice of Fatora excitedly, dismissing the protests of her lover, "This Haruhi sounds like a lot of fun! If she's my type _physically_, we'll have a blast! What are the other two like?"

I wanted to do my best to spare pure pristine Mikuru from the shallow depravations of the lesbian sex fiends, so I tried my best to make her sound unappealing.

"Well…" I began, "Mikuru is really shy. Haruhi tries to get her into her costumers, but Mikuru usually resists with all her might. She's not a very playful girl, you could say."

"But is she cute?" asked Fatora in follow up question.

As much as I wanted to… I just couldn't lie about Mikuru's appearance. Mikuru is such an enlivening and refreshing mixture of cuteness, sweetness, pure heart, buxom breasts, and the most superb vivacious legs that I simply couldn't bring myself to fully disparage her wondrous self by pretending that she's ugly!

"She's… pretty cute." I replied, biting my tongue to ensure that I didn't reveal any _more_ about the lovely Asahina.

"Well, if she's cute…" responded Fatora, "Don't worry about her inhibitions. _I'll_ take care of that."

"Hey now!" I found myself rising up in anger, while narrowing my eyes, "Mikuru Asahina is a soft and gentle flower. I won't stand for anybody abusing her!"

"This is interesting…" replied Fatora, "It seems like you have a _thing_ for this girl… am I correct?"

"S-she's a good friend, that's all." I responded, while I have to admit that I blushed slightly.

"Sounds like a good friend… _with benefits…_ to me" replied Fatora with a saucy grin.

"That's enough, Fatora!" exclaimed Nanami, "Don't go teasing the poor guy like that! He's gone through a lot already… just like all of us people stranded from Earth have."

I was surprised to see Nanami pick up for me like that. It was a gesture that I appreciated, though.

"Thanks, Nanami." I stated, before trying to change to a more relaxing topic, "So… how long until we reach the location of the spacial anomaly in Durasland?"

"We won't reach it tonight" stated Alielle, as she was controlling the flight of the Camerock, "We'll have to stop over in a small village named _Curtisfulla_ about four hundred secordias North of it."

"_Secordias?_" I asked, hoping that someone could translate that into an unit of measurement that I was familiar with.

"One Secordia is about one fortieth of a mile" responded Makoto, "It's also the location of one of the schools that was destroyed named _Zafteon Academy_."

"Great!" exclaimed Koizumi, "Tomorrow morning, Kyon and I can help out Sensei Fujisawa in rebuilding the school in the area while the rest of us can search for our missing SOS Brigade members in the town of Curtisfulla!"

"Thanks a lot, Koizumi!" responded Sensei Fujisawa, "Any help that you and Kyon can give me would be great news for the people of Curtisfulla!"

"No problem, Sensei." I stated, feeling genuinely gratified for everything that these people from Shinonome had done for Itsuki and I, "We'll be more than happy to help out!"

And so, while Haruhi had playful dreams during the night, Koizumi and I rested with more stoic goals in mind. Haruhi Suzumiya would prove to be the earliest riser of the SOS Brigade the following morning, however.

Haruhi yawned loudly, and stretched her arms upwards and wide, while moving to a sitting position upon her plush exotic alien bed.

"That was a good rest after a simply great day!" she said cheerfully, pumping her fists close to her breasts, "Hhhmmmm… I forgot to ask Katsuhiko were the washroom was, however. I better go do that _now_ as I need to take a bath or shower. I need to look my best around these extraordinary extra terrestrials!"

So, Haruhi slipped out from under the bed covers, and began to change out of her yellow pajamas and into her student uniform. She then slowly walked about the corridors of this latest Bugrom fortress, trying to find Katsuhiko.

"Katsuhiko…" she said in a normal tone, "He_llo_! Where _are_ you, Katsuhiko?!"

After searching around for about a minute, Haruhi eventually saw an opening into a modified living room of sorts. Languishing upon a couch designed for human occupancy in that room was Katsuhiko Jinnai, sipping a fresh cup of coffee. Directly across from him in a crouching position was Groucho. Haruhi was about to barge in on them, and demand directions to the washroom… until she decided that it would be better to eavesdrop on them afar. She wanted to get a better idea of what life was like for the bugrom _before_ she arrived, and she felt that now would be a good opportunity for that.

"Aaahhh…" stated a most pleased Katsuhiko Jinnai, "That coffee is at _just_ the right temperature! _Finally!_ Good work, Margaret. It's good to see that you're learning _at last_ how to make the perfect cup of coffee!"

No problem, Katsu! replied the female Bugrom, standing in front of a boiling pot of coffee in the adjoining kitchen area, It took awhile for me to learn how to get it to _precisely_ 98 degrees – a heat measurement that doesn't exist here on El Hazard – but I mastered it at last!

"Now just make sure you make _all_ cups of coffee like that in the future!" responded Jinnai, before turning his attention to Groucho, "Now, Groucho, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

Go ahead, boss! responded Groucho, I'll do whatever I can to help my best bud!

"Yes, well…" began Jinnai, about to pose a question, "What do you _really_ make of my new ally Haruhi Suzumiya? I don't mean _physically_ now – I mean… do you think that we can _trust_ her? She _is_ a former _**Alliance spy**_ after all. And then there's the way both that _wind-up witch Ifurita_ and the _cold corrupted Kalia_ betrayed me – damn them to hell!"

Haruhi's heart jumped a beat upon hearing this. Making sure to stay out of sight of Jinnai, Groucho, and Margaret, she nonetheless leaned in closely against the exterior side of the wall that was between her and Jinnai. She listened with great attentiveness and anxiety over what Groucho would say next.

I think that we can trust her, boss stated Groucho, She's really fun, and I think that she's truly enjoying herself here! Ifurita and Kalia never gave me that vibe

'Good dependable Groucho' thought Haruhi to herself with a smile, 'He's always picking up for me!'

Plus, Haruhi's a human, boss continued Groucho, She doesn't have programming that can go terribly wrong like the artificial life forms of Ifurita and Kalia!

"_**Artificial life forms!**_" exclaimed Haruhi most excitedly, as she forgot _everything_ about getting a shower, or eavesdropping on Jinnai and the bugrom.

Haruhi then rushed into the room, and looked Groucho directly in the eye, startling Jinnai enough to cause him to spill his coffee all over his school uniform.

"_AAaagggghhh…!!!_" he screamed in pain, "It burns!"

Haruhi took no notice of Jinnai's pain, however, and began to interrogate Groucho.

"Groucho!" she began excitedly, "Where did you find these awesome artificial life forms?! What were they like?! Where _are_ they now?! **Can we find more?!!"**

Groucho became a bit dazed by Haruhi's fervent questioning.

C-c-calm down, Haruhi! he began, Give me a second to explain it all!

"Please do!" exclaimed Haruhi cheerfully.

"Hey… wait a second!" interjected Jinnai, recovered from the coffee splash, "There's something _more_ important that must be discussed **now**!"

"Huh?" asked Haruhi, turning her head to look Jinnai in the face, "What could _possibly_ be more important than finding out more about these great artifical life forms?!"

"_I_ never mentioned anything about Ifurita and Kalia being artificial life forms!" responded Jinnai, "Only Groucho did. …And _you're_ not supposed to be able to understand _bugrom_… **remember?**!"

"Oh… that's right!" exclaimed Haruhi excitedly, suddenly coming to the same realization that Jinnai did, now turning to face him, "Somehow… I'm hearing Groucho just as you are! That is _soooo_ **excellent!**"

"Yes, yes, it's great and all…" observed Jinnai, "But that's _beside_ the point! What's allowing _you_, a human of El Hazard, to understand Bugrom?! Also, why are you cosplaying in an outfit that makes you look like Diva?"

"Huh?" asked Haruhi, even more stunned now, "What do you mean?"

"_**What do I mean?!**_" asked Jinnai incredulously, "Y-your two flowing wings! Your two antennae sticking up out of your hair! Those two brown spots on your forehead that look like tiny eyes! _That's_ what I mean… **obviously**!"

Haruhi had actually not noticed these alterations to her very body yet. Her new wings had naturally adjusted smoothly to her clothing, while her new forehead eyes had remained close, since Haruhi himself had not made any motion to open them yet. However, upon feeling the top of her head, Haruhi found the antennae that Jinnai had mentioned. Upon arching her arm to touch the middle of her own back, Haruhi could make out the fine silky texture of two large wings on top of the back of her student uniform top.

"Wow…" she began, "I… I've somehow gained some of the features of a bugrom. This is _beyond_ cool!"

"_**You're saying that they're real?!**_" exclaimed Jinnai in explosive query.

"Yeah, they are!" answered Haruhi with a wide smile from ear to ear, "I _love_ cosplaying, but I never made fake wings, or fake antennae! These antennae must be how I'm able to understand bugrom now! This is _soooooo…_ **great!!!**"

As incredible as this all was… Jinnai could sense that Haruhi was telling the truth, at least as she saw it.

"Hhmmmm…" he mused to himself, while rubbing his chin, "Sensei Fujisawa now got horrific strength. The accursed Mizuhara was somehow able to turn Ifurita against me! I'm not aware of anything for Nanami… but I did gain the ability to talk to the bugrom. I wonder...?"

"What are you wondering about?" asked Haruhi.

"No, no… it's simply not possible!" stated Jinnai, dismissing the thought that crossed his mind.

"No… tell me what you're thinking of!" exclaimed Haruhi, "There has to be _some_ explanation for this, after all!"

"_Sigh_… fine" responded Jinnai, "Perhaps humans that travel from Earth to El Hazard are blessed with special powers and abilities upon arriving in El Hazard. Perhaps you _really are_ a lost traveler from Earth as you would have me believe. Perhaps the ability _you_ received was the ability to alter your physical form to your heart's content!"

"**Yes!**" shouted Haruhi, energized even further by this exciting possibility, as she started to move rapidly about the room, "That _has_ to be it! See, _Katsuhiko_… I _was_ telling you the truth! I'm **not** an Alliance spy! So **there**!"

Haruhi then leaned her face in close to Jinnai's, pulled at the skin directly under her right eye, stuck out her tongue at him, and made a very obnoxious noise.

"Y-you're _mocking_ me?!" exclaimed Jinnai in startled questioning reply.

"He he he…" laughed Haruhi, amused by Jinnai's outrage over her playful gesture to him.

"_**Nobody mocks Lord God Jinnai!!!**_" he exclaimed at the top of his lungs, and becoming extremely animated, as he motioned wildly with all his limbs, "Take it back! Take it back _now_!"

Haruhi simply chuckled loudly over her new ally's outburst. This confrontation over a mocking gesture would come to a close thanks to Queen Diva, however.

"Mr. Jinnai!" she exclaimed in a very usually excited tone for her, "You must come outside immediately! Miss Suzumiya, Groucho, and Margaret should come as well!"

"Huh?" asked Jinnai, temporarily forgetting how Haruhi had mocked him, "What is it, Diva?!"

"It's more than I can explain satisfactorily!" she shouted, "You must see it for yourself!"

Jinnai and Haruhi had there curiosity piqued considerably by this. Jinnai was angrily thinking _'what now?!'_ while Haruhi was thinking 'what's the _next_ ultra-super-cool thing that I'll get to see this morning?!'. Haruhi's expectations would prove to be much closer to the truth, as the second thing that she had dreamt for in a longing way over the night was about to be realized…

Katsuhiko Jinnai, Haruhi Suzumiya, Queen Diva, and all of Jinnai's personal elite bugrom squad began quickly walking up the staircase that lead to the uppermost exterior entrance and exit for Jinnai's new fortress. That exit led upon a large rocky balcony, overlooking a vast array of outstretching territory below. Jinnai was the first to pass through this exit… and what he _heard_ and _saw_ **absolutely amazed** him.

"**Incredible!**" he exclaimed, as he began racing to the outer rim of the balcony.

"This is _beyond_ incredible!" shouted Haruhi Suzumiya, as she quickly followed behind him.

Look, comrades, it's Lord Jinnai! came a bugrom shout, And there with him, is Queen Diva!

_**Hail Lord Jinnai! Long Live Her Royal Majesty the Queen!**_

__Our Invincible Queen and Her Superb Supreme Commander are here as we thought!

Hail him! Victory to the glorious Jinnai! Unending reign over El Hazard to the Queen!

Hail the Supreme Commander! All power to the Queen!

_Hundreds of thousands of bugrom_ surrounded the circumference of the latest bugrom fortress, as far as the eye could see. The esoteric sunrise hanging upon the horizon was matched in its majestic appeal only by the reverberating cheers and commotion coming from the great conflagration of bugrom gathered to the very edge of that horizon as well!

"Behold, Mr. Jinnai!" shouted Queen Diva, in utter ecstasy, "Behold the impossible return of the Bugrom Empire to its former glory!"

"**Heh!**" came Mr. Jinnai in a high-pitch short chuckle, as megalomania began to take ven greater hold of his heart, _"Heh heh heh heh heh…!"_

Haruhi had never witnessed a scene even _remotely_ as great as this before, in its effects on the deepest desires within her heart and the greatest longings of her mind! The one thing that she had forgotten to ask Katsuhiko was how many bugrom were there. And hence, she played with the idea that there were _hundreds_… no, _thousands_… no, _**hundreds of thousands**_… of bugrom! For ever so brief a moment, she allowed herself to dream of such an unimaginable idea. But, that moment of dreaming alone proved quite powerful.

"_Wow…_" stated Haruhi breathlessly at this magnificent site before her, "They're in so many different shapes and sizes! Some are actually bigger than a car!"

Lord Jinnai! came the shout of one such large flying type bugrom, It is I, your personal flying mount, **the Red Comet!** It has been my honor to serve you in the past, my master, and I am eager to reprise that role once more!

"Ah yes, Red Comet!" exclaimed Katsuhiko Jinnai, turning to greet his former personal flying mount, "It is good to see you again… _very_ good to see you again! _Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!"_

Praise the Queen! shouted out one bugrom above the noisy waves of bugrom, Lord Jinnai is reunited with the Red Comet! And there is Field Commander Groucho!

Command us once more, Supreme Commander! exclaimed a large flying bugrom type, We are eager to serve you again! Somehow you have seen us through what seemed like an entrapping desolation directed from the Eye of God! We are somehow alive for you to command, my lord!

The bugrom became increasingly noisy, as Jinnai's ego grew in proportion to the volume of the sounds of the worshipping bugrom before him. Haruhi's heart began to race as she was in utter awe of the entire scene.

Jinnai, with an incredibly smug smirk on his face, held up an arm and open palm to silence the bugrom masses. He was about to address them all!

"As I told you before!" he shouted, with a charismatic gesture of his arms, "Nothing can stop us! **Nothing can get in our way! **_**El Hazard will be ours!**__"_

_**Jinnai! Jinnai! Jinnai! Jinnai! Jinnai!**_

"The Alliance thought that they could resist us!" continued Katsuhiko Jinnai in impassioned speech, motioning his arms with the style of a great orator, "They thought they could turn back our advance! They thought that Ifurita's betrayal was enough to stop us! They thought that the Eye of God would eradicate our presence for good! But with your return today, my cherished Bugrom Empire… you have all proven them wrong! We are invincible! We are unstoppable! **We are the omnipotent Bugrom Empire!**"

_**Jinnai! Jinnai! Jinnai! Jinnai! Jinnai!**_ the bugrom cheered even louder.

Haruhi turned sideways at her new ally, her mouth agape at the sight. She couldn't believe what she was seeing! Here was a fellow human from Earth, and hundreds of thousands of extra terrestrials were cheering for him loudly. He was actually their hero!

"_Wow…_" she said softly, actually blushing slightly over the sight of her new human ally in one of his finest moments, "_**H-he's so cool!**_"

Jinnai paused for a second to dwell on what would be the _perfect_ statement to say next. Haruhi's distraction provided him with the words that he searched diligently for.

Look over there! shouted one bugrom, extended the digits of one of his arms in Haruhi's general direction, Who is that woman with the Supreme Commander and the Queen?!

Haruhi could suddenly sense that thousands were turning their attentions upon her.

That woman… she has antennae and wings just like the Queen! exclaimed another bugrom, She is not a normal human of El Hazard! She may be one of us!

Maybe she is the new Queen! one Bugrom speculated out loud.

"N-new Queen?" thought Haruhi out loud, "That… that would be so… so magnificent!"

Jinnai could tell that the bugrom were starting to focus on his new ally. And hence, to fully capture the moment, he chose to do so as well.

"I see that you, my faithful bugrom soldiers…" he began, stretching one arm out towards Haruhi while looking her in the eyes, "Have noticed our powerful new ally in our eternal struggle against the Alliance! Let me introduce you to… the clever trainer and shape-changer that will change the fate of the Bugrom Empire forever! Let me introduce you to our invaluable ally, **Haruhi Suzumiya**!"

Three cheers for the new ally! shouted one bugrom.

_**Hip-hip-HARUHI! Hip-hip-HARUHI! Hip-hip-HARUHI!**_ May she help guide our Superb Supreme Commander to our Promised Land!

Haruhi Suzumiya began smiling very widely indeed at this personal cheer for her! She had never known this much excitement and joy! Alas, she did not know what she was getting herself into…

She rushed over towards where Jinnai was standing, and moved directly in front of him, standing proudly while waving her arms and hands frantically.

"**Yes!**" she exclaimed as loud as her lungs and diaphragm would allow her, "In time, I will train each of you into full-fledged members of the SOS Brigade! Then we will all have nothing but fun all of the time! I **promise** this to you **all**, you most super duper cool and stupendous BUGROM!"

Katsuhiko Jinnai was startled a bit by Haruhi's words here.

"Hey!" he whispered to her loudly, "I thought the SOS Brigade was only going to be a _subsection_ of the broader Bugrom Empire?"

Jinnai's protest here completely went in one ear and out the other, as Haruhi was too focused on everything _magnificent_ about this scene to even notice it. She did, however, wrap her arms tightly around Jinnai in a show of thanks.

"**Thank you!**" she exclaimed, "This is **the best day of my life**, and you're a big part of why that is!"

"This is indeed a most momentous day in the history of the Bugrom Empire!" exclaimed Queen Diva, "What fortune! What luck! All of our former bugrom soldiers have somehow returned to us!"

"Fortune?" began Jinnai, raising an eyebrow, "_Luck?_ No, Diva, _fortune_ does not restore an almost entirely obliterated empire back to its highest former glory. _Luck_ does not resurrect a people out of near genocide! As I said to you when you escaped from the annihilated Hive, this is not luck… but _divine intervention_! **GOD** is on my side!"

And with Haruhi Suzumiya standing euphorically at his side, Katsuhiko Jinnai began to ascend into one of his most powerful laughs ever…

"_Hhmmm~Mmmm_-**HA!**-Ha ha ha ha**HaAhHAHA**_haha_**HA**_**HO**_**HA**~Ha ha ha ha ha _**HAA**_ _Ha ha ha ha ha…!!!!_"

**TO BE CONTINUED…!!!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – The Second Night of Haruhi Suzumiya

With the miraculous resurrection of hundreds of thousands of bugrom, the latest bugrom fortress turned into a, if you'll pardon the horrible pun, veritable _hive_ of activity. For the first time in her life, Haruhi started to feel like she was becoming a secondary character in _somebody else's_ carefully directed production…

"**Chico!**" shouted Katsuhiko Jinnai, "I want you to randomly select out about _half_ of all of the _returned_ bugrom gathered in, or around, our fortress. This half of our force will be put to work _immediately_ on renovating and greatly enlarging our fortress. I'm entrusting _you_ to find the necessary building materials for this task. I want this fortress to look as close to our former _Hive_ headquarters as possible. Is that clear, Chicho?"

Clear as crystal, boss! replied Chico, while saluting Jinnai, I'm right on it!

Katsuhiko then quickly turned about in a half-circle, and shouted out to Gummo, while pointing at him.

"**Gummo!**" he exclaimed, "I want you to follow behind Chico, and begin forming twenty-bugrom search parties out of the bugrom that Chicho does _not_ select for building work. Each such twenty-bugrom search party must include at least four bugrom of the Voyager class – that's _the Red Comet's_ type, in case you don't recall. Assign a division number and division leader to each such party formed!"

As you command, Katsuhiko! responded Gummo, also saluting Jinnai, I'll make sure that each of these parties are very well-rounded and up to whatever _searching_ tasks that you choose to assign to them!

"_Good_" stated Jinnai in a confident tone, "_Their_ mission will be of the upmost importance to our long-term strategic goals!"

With Chico and Gummo already racing wildly about with these two missions given to them, Haruhi, upon returning from a washroom break and a shower, found herself getting a bit lost in the crowd, with bugrom rushing about all around her, almost bumping into her at times.

"Katsuhiko…" she stated weakly towards him and with an unusually timid tone for her, about thirty feet behind him.

"**Harpo!**" shouted Jinnai, taking no notice of his newest ally, "See if you can find _Sasuke_, our top miniaturized bugrom spy and informant of the Reconnaissance class. He was Queen Diva's top informant and messenger prior to the last war! I need him to sneak into Florestica, and begin intelligence gathering work for us there. Can you pass that message along to him for me, Harpo?"

Absolutely, boss! answered Harpo, saluting him, I'll find Sasuke and pass that message unto him as quickly as I possibly can!

"Excellent!" replied Katsuhiko, pumping a fist, "Sasuke has done great work for us in the past! With him working for us again, we'll know everything from what Londs' is eating for breakfast to the color of underwear that Rune Venus is wearing! _Ha ha ha ha ha!!!_"

"Katsuhiko!" stated Haruhi, a bit more loudly this time, and becoming a bit agitated at him seemingly ignoring her… although his possible desire to know the color of Rune Venus' underwear likely wasn't making her happy either.

"**Zeppo!**" exclaimed Katsuhiko, turning about thirty degrees in a direction _away_ from Haruhi and _towards_ Zeppo, continuing to seemingly not notice Haruhi, "Follow behind Chico and Gummo. Once Chicho and Gummo have completed their tasks, go with them and also retrieve Harpo, and report back to me! With their three assignments complete, I will gather together our _main_ elite search and combat unit, which will include the three of them, yourself, Groucho, Margaret, the Red Comet, the Blue Drop, myself, and…"

"_**KATSUHIKO!!!**_" screamed a highly displeased Haruhi, rushing right up to him and yelling this directly into his left ear!

"_Aaaaagggghhh…!!!_" he hollered in pain, as he actually began to wobble about a bit from the force of Haruhi's yell, before turning about to face her, "_**Are you trying to deafen me?!**_ I _was_ just going to list _you_ as the final member of our main elite search and combat unit, you know! So _reelaaaxxx_!"

"That's not the point!" she shouted in reply, "Don't ever ignore me like that! It really _annoys_ me when people ignore me like that!"

"_Sigh_" he responded, "Haruhi… I'm not ignoring you. But I _have_ to work decisively and quickly here! I can't risk losing the element of surprise that we hold as an invaluable _trump card_ right now!"

"_Element of surprise?_" responded a genuinely confused Haruhi in question, "What kind of surprise are you talking about?"

"We need to regain full military readiness as soon as possible!" began Jinnai in answer, "_Then_ we will be able to pull off the ultimate surprise attack on the Alliance! We will be _marching on Florestica_, and opening up an important _theater of war_ through out Roshtaria as a whole!"

Jinnai intended this to convey the image of shocked and terrified Roshtarian guards and soldiers fleeing in utter despair at the sight of the burgeoning and surprisingly revived Bugrom Empire making a blitzkrieg through everything in sight! Haruhi, however, took it to mean something very different…

"**Marching bands of bugrom!**" she shouted, thinking of a marching band of bugrom _musicians_ and _dancing marchers_ going through the streets during a large celebration, "And a theater production involving a script having to do with war! Katsuhiko… what incredibly bold ideas you have! It'll be such a blast!"

"Oh _yes_, things will be _blasting_ **alright**… bwa-ha-ha-ha-_**HA!**_-ha-ha-ha-**HA**!!!" responded Jinnai in gleeful laughter over dreams of victory and conquest.

Haruhi initially smiled widely at, and was even beaming over, _her interpretation_ of Katsuhiko's plans here… until a depressing important fact crossed her mind causing her countenance to become much more subdued and sad.

"Huh?" asked Jinnai, noticing the sudden change over Haruhi's mood, "What's wrong?"

"You have really cool plans, Katsuhiko…" she said in a dejected mood, "But I really wish that the rest of my SOS Brigade from Earth could be here to take part in them! As much as I want to _throttle them_ and w_ring Kyon's neck _for leaving my side like this for so long… I'm also missing them!"

"Oh, _that's_ all it is" replied Jinnai with a proud look on his face and slight smile, "I _perfectly_ understand your sentiments there. If any brigade of _mine_ abandoned me like that, I'd want to throttle them as well! Anyway… just what do you think the search parties I'm putting together are _for_, my invaluable ally?"

"You… You're planning to help me search for my missing SOS Brigade members!" exclaimed Haruhi in excited surprise.

"Of course!" responded Jinnai, "Since you've proven yourself to be from Earth, it's safe to assume that this SOS Brigade that you keep talking about is _also_ from Earth. _They too_ probably got powers while travelling from Earth to El Hazard. It is _absolutely imperative_ that we do **not** let them fall into the hands of the Alliance, where the miserable Ma_ko_**to** is likely to _propagandize_ them against us!"

"Wow… you and Makoto Mizuhara are in a bit of a feud, huh?" responded Haruhi, being a bit more perceptive than usual, "Well… I can relate. That craven Computer Club President tried to steal Yuki from me! From what _you're_ saying, Makoto is starting to sound just like him!"

"Oh yes, Mizuhara loves _nothing but_ computers!" exclaimed Jinnai in reply, "He's a _complete nerd_ that is always getting in the way of my plans!"

"That's unforgiveable!" shouted Haruhi in turn, "I won't let him stop our cool marching band and theater production plans! The SOS Brigade will _always_ stand against bothersome killjoys like him!"

"_Aaahhhh…_" stated Jinnai, so _marvelously pleased_ that _someone else _was _finally_ seeing Makoto the way that _he_ does, "You are a_ perfect ally_ who takes after my own heart, Haruhi Suzumiya! Let us quickly begin searching for your fellow SOS Brigade members, so that I will have _even more_ perfect allies! Do you have any pictures of them with you, by chance?"

"Yes!" she responded energetically, "I have them in my school bag! I'll go get them for you right now!"

"_Excellent!_" he replied, "I'll then distribute those pictures amongst _all_ of our search parties, and _then_ we'll fan out through out all of El Hazard to find your missing friends. No stone will be left unturned, and no house will remain uncombed, in our search for them!"

"Thanks so much, Katsuhiko!" responded Haruhi with a big smile, as she rummaged through her school bag, "You're such a great friend! You always take the initiative and don't have to be told what to do… unlike Kyon, I'm afraid to say…"

"Mr. Jinnai" came the voice of Queen Diva, elegantly interjecting upon this scene that she had been calmly overlooking from a nearby corridor, "Before you and Miss Suzumiya begin your search, there is something that I must discuss with you both."

"Oh?" asked Katsuhiko Jinnai, "What's that?"

"Is it something that has to be discussed_ now_?" asked a somewhat impatient Haruhi.

"Yeah, Diva… this can't wait?" asked Jinnai, a bit eager to get searching as well.

"The sooner it is discussed, the better" answered Queen Diva, "It involves an _integral transition _within the Bugrom Empire that was _foretold of from old_. Please come with me to my chambers where we can discuss it in private."

Queen Diva then turned about and began walking with a regal stride to her personal chambers. Haruhi and Jinnai did not move at first, while Haruhi glanced over to Jinnai to see if he had any idea what it might be about. Jinnai simply shrugged his shoulders over it.

"Is she _always_ like this?" asked Haruhi, a touch annoyed.

"Diva can be a bit… cryptic at times" answered Jinnai, "Nonetheless, it's usually a good idea to follow her when she has something to show you, or tell you."

"Ok then" stated Haruhi, forcing a slight smile for Jinnai's sake, "Lead the way!"

And with that, Katsuhiko Jinnai and Haruhi Suzumiya walked after Queen Diva and into a meeting that would prove to be of surprisingly great importance. In its own way, however, what Itsuki, Makoto Mizuhara, Nanami Jinnai, Sensei Fujisawa, Fatora, Alielle and I were working at was important as well.

After a long flight to Curtisfulla, we all slept in a small nondescript inn for the night. The inn itself had comfortable accommodations, but it never had seven beds to spare by the time that we arrived at it. Hence, Itsuki – with out consulting _me_ about it _first_, of course - offered to have him and I sleep on the floor. Makoto and Sensei Fujisawa initially objected on the grounds that Itsuki and I really needed our rest during our very first night in El Hazard, but they eventually caved to Itsuki's insistence that _they_ should have the beds since _they_ provided the transportation. _Sigh_

This rather uncomfortable sleeping arrangement, coupled by the sounds of Fatora and Alielle sneaking off during the middle of the night presumably to engage in truly unspeakable things, resulted in a largely sleepless night for me. Nonetheless, about three hours after sunrise and immediately after each of us had a short bath and a change of clothing, the six of us met directly outside the inn to plan out the day's events. Since the weather was considerably warm and balmy here, Itsuki and I had chosen to wear the summer clothes that we had worn when we visited Koizumi's distant relative at his newly built island villa.

"Ok, everybody, we have a lot of work to do today!" stated Makoto in an oddly cheerful tone for someone who considered what we were going to be doing to be _work_, "Koizumi, do you and Kyon have some pictures of your three missing friends that you can show the rest of us?"

"Yeah!" shouted Fatora excitedly, while making a teasing smile towards Kyon, "I can't wait to see what this Mikuru Asahina looks like for myself!"

At that point, I became _flush_ with a deep and presiding inward desire to find the effortlessly cute Mikuru before she feel into the clutches of the Roshtarian lesbian society. Even so, Koizumi showed pictures of Haruhi Suzumiya, Mikuru Asahina, and Yuki Nagato to _all_ _four_ of our four comrades in what felt like a most ill-fated searching operation to me.

"Hey!" stated Nanami, "I really like that catchy armband that Haruhi Suzumiya is displaying there! It features a _really nice_ logo design that would make for a _perfect_ marketing logo for almost any private enterprise! Did she make it herself?"

"Yes, she did." I answered, "Haruhi can be pretty handy with handcrafted items, and promotional materials, actually."

"That's perfect!" continued Nanami, "Once we find your friends, maybe her and I can start up a _box lunches_ business here on El Hazard! I'm pretty good with financial matters but colorful marketing and promotions is something that I could use some work with. Your friend Haruhi sounds like her talents would make a nice compliment for my own."

"Yeah, and Haruhi isn't the most prudent person around when it comes to handling finances, so maybe you two _really would_ compliment each other well" I responded with a chuckle.

"Wait… you said that she's the club leader of your SOS Brigade, right?" continued Nanami with rhetorical question, "If she's had problems handling finances… how is she managing to come up with much needed club materials and supplies… like, say, computers?"

"Um… well…" I began, and with a nervous chuckle, while rubbing the back of my head, "That's a _really long_ story. It's probably best if we save it for another time."

"Yuki Nagato looks really smart!" interjected Makoto, as he was most taken by Nagato of the three female members of the SOS Brigade, "She has great taste in glasses, and she looks like she's really into computers and books."

"That's impressively perceptive of you, Makoto" replied Koizumi, "Yuki is a truly voracious reader. She can also analyze and distill data and information at least as well as anybody else that I know. She is a very fast computer typist and knows a great deal about science and technology."

"I'm really looking forward to meeting her then" continued Makoto, "There's not many girls like her at my school, unfortunately."

"Hey! What do you mean by _that_, Makoto?!" asked a slightly hurt Nanami.

"Ah… I didn't mean anything against _you_, Nanami" answered Makoto, a bit worried over upsetting his friend, "It's just that you're not all that into books and computers, unless it relates to ways to make money, or crunching sales figures and tabulating profit margins."

"Well isn't that the _main_ **practical** use of a computer?" asked Nanami in turn.

"If you say so" responded Makoto disingenuously, wanting to avoid needless verbal conflict, as I could begin to sense that him and Nanami shared a relationship a little bit similar to mine with Haruhi.

"_**~Oooohhhh… **_**Fatora~!**" exclaimed Alielle, making me fear what was coming next, "Just look at those incredibly yielding, pliant, buxom, plump, and ample breasts!"

Apparently the concept of _redundancy_ was lost on Alielle.

"They are indeed quite luscious and large!" replied Fatora, "And in that maid outfit with the tight corset… _my_, I don't know what's more impressive: _Mikuru Asahina's appearance_, or _Haruhi Suzumiya's skill_ at making attractive girls look even sexier!"

"And that bunny outfit, Fatora!" continued Alielle in complete and utter glee, as she started to squirm her body excitedly back and forth, "Wouldn't you just love to squeeze that puffy pretty bunny tail?!"

"Haruhi herself isn't bad in one of _those_ get ups!" chimed in Fatora, before turning to face me, "Wow, Kyon… you're one really lucky guy! I have to admit that I'm actually a bit envious of you! I hope that you're treating these excellent specimens of femininity the way that they _deserve_ to be treated!"

I was about to ask Fatora what was the proper treatment for such _excellent specimens of femininity_, as she put it, before I decided that her answer might be something more than my more modest sensibilities could handle. Thankfully, though, being aroused by the pictures of Haruhi Suzumiya and Mikuru Asahina caused Fatora to prompt everybody to get a move on.

"Ok – enough chit chat!" she exclaimed cheerfully, "Let's get this ball of sensuous wax rolling! We need to start searching for these gorgeous girls right now!"

"Right!" added in Makoto, causing Nanami to scowl slightly as she suspected that he was getting a bit too enthused over efforts to find Yuki Nagato, "Let's split up into two teams. The first time will search through out the entire village of the Curtisfulla, while the second team will search through the surrounding woodland areas of Curtisfulla, and this search will occur over the next three hours! Koizumi, I know that yesterday evening you offered to help rebuild Zafteon Academy along with Kyon and Sensei Fujisawa while the rest of us searched for your three missing friends… but on second thought, we probably should leave such rebuilding efforts for later."

"I agree" stated Sensei Fujisawa, "These three friends of yours look like model students to me, and students like that are always indispensible!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at Sensei Fujisawa's choice of term of _model_ there, considering how Haruhi, Mikuru, and Yuki looked in some of the pictures.

"Sadly, it'll probably be several weeks, if not months, before Zafteon Academy can be rebuilt" continued Sensei Fujisawa, "Whereas there's a chance that we can find at least one of your missing friends _today_. So, mountain climbing notwithstanding, I tend to think it's a better course of action to deal with the shorter term tasks first before moving on to longer and larger tasks. That's the way you gradually build towards a productive life, after all!"

"You're right, Sensei Fujisawa." responded Koizumi, "Plus, once we find Haruhi, Mikuru, and Yuki, we may find that we'll have added help in rebuilding the schools. So, Makoto, who do you think should be in each team?"

Like me, Koizumi had come to the conclusion that, in his own way, Makoto was the leader here. Makoto's leadership was an understated type that delegated power a great deal and was not the least bit overbearing – a stark contrast to the way that Haruhi tended to lead the SOS Brigade. Yet, you could tell that Makoto commanded a certain level of quiet deference and respect from his friends, and even from his own Sensei. Sensei Fujisawa was clearly deeply proud of Makoto, and tended to be a guiding light for him, as opposed to an outright director in the style of Haruhi. Itsuki and I tried to adjust, as best we could, to this more relaxed and subtle leadership – yet, at the same time, it was nice to have some real say in things for a change. Haruhi could learn a great deal from Makoto, I felt.

"Well, while it might be a bit discomforting for you and Kyon, I think that the two of you should be on different search teams" answered Makoto, "If we happen to find one of your friends, it would be best, after all, if we had at least _one_ familiar face already present to greet them. That way, they're more likely to come running _towards us_ if they happen to spot us even while we don't see them."

"That's smart thinking, Makoto" I concurred, "Not bad."

"I concur" added in Koizumi, "In truth, it might even be good for Kyon and I to spend some time apart from one another so that we'll… come more quickly out of our _personal rapport comfort zones_, if you get what I mean."

"I'm glad that you're both fine with being separated for now, then!" exclaimed Makoto towards Kyon and I, before getting back to the details of his plan, and hence making eye contact with everybody that had naturally formed a semi-circle around him.

"Should we happen to run into some sort of resistance…" continued Makoto, likely thinking of the bugrom, "It would be ideal to have complimentary power sets within each team. So, Kyon should be with me, while Sensei Fujisawa and Koizumi should be on the _other_ team to ensure that the _second_ team has some abilities and powers to work with as well! Alielle and Fatora likely want to stick together, so they can both go on Sensei Fujisawa's team. And that leaves Nanami with Kyon and me!"

I was relieved to find myself on a team separate from Fatora and Alielle. This gave me, I felt, a fighting chance of finding Mikuru before they did!

"Also… unless somebody has an objection to make, we'll keep these two search teams as they are until we find the person who came out of the spacial anomaly in Durasland!" exclaimed Makoto, "Hopefully, we'll find that person this morning, but if not, we'll continue to search in these two search teams through out all of the area within a forty mile radius of the location of the Durasland spacial anomaly. We'll extend this radius by ten miles for every two days of searching… but let's _really_ hope that our search doesn't take that long. So, does everybody agree to this search plan? Does anybody have any objection to make?"

"Sounds great to me, kiddo!" exclaimed Sensei Fujisawa, giving Makoto an enthusiastic thumbs up, "Hearing that great search plan puts me in a mood for some of Roshtaria's strongest sake, _**ha ha!!**_"

"Yeah, that _is_ a good plan." I admitted, "You're not bad at this at all, Makoto."

"Thanks Kyon!" responded Makoto with a smile, appreciating my show of confidence, "So… no objections?"

"Nope!" stated Fatora, "_This_ way, _Prince Charming_ over there won't be able to stop me from having some fun if I happen to find Haruhi or Mikuru before he does."

That… highly disturbing ramification of Makoto's search plan had not occurred to me until Fatora mentioned it. Now I just _knew_ that I had to find the lovely Asahina before Sensei Fujisawa's team did!

"I'm with Fatora so I'm happy!" shouted Alielle, "And besides… if _she_ likes the plan, then so do I."

"I'm completely pleased with it." stated Koizumi.

"Well… it's too bad Sensei Fujisawa will be leading the other team, but at least I get to go with Makoto!" exclaimed Nanami, "So I'm fine with the plan as well. Let's get going! I have a great feeling that Haruhi Suzumiya and I are going to be running a very successful business here in El Hazard, and the sooner we get that up and running, the better!"

"With the two teams decided upon then…" stated Sensei Fujisawa, as he brought a fist up to his chest, "_I'll_ have _my_ team handle the searching through the woodlands surrounding Cutisfulla! Being a natural outdoorsman, that search area is perfect for me!"

"Agreed, Sensei!" exclaimed Makoto, "Ok then – let's get started everybody!"

And with that, Itsuki and I began our first full day of searching for Haruhi, Mikuru, and Yuki. That first day of searching would unfortunately prove to be fruitless, as least as it pertains to _actually finding_ Haruhi, Mikuru, and Yuki. Still, I found it interesting to learn more about Makoto and Nanami, and to gain a greater appreciation for the friendship dynamic between them. While it was similar to my friendship with Haruhi, with Makoto in my shoes and Nanami in Haruhi's, there was something of a juxtaposition going on there as well… for Makoto, as I noted before, was a leader in his own right; much more than I myself was. This mutually respectful give and take between Makoto and Nanami was something that I slightly envied… but still, that was largely a passing thought for me. Finding Mikuru Asahina was my most pressing concern!

In the process of searching for her in Curtisfulla, however, I learned much about the geography and people of El Hazard. They were largely friendly people… but also deeply shaken. They inwardly bore the scars of war, reflected in somber sloped faces as they went about dusting streets and houses, reconstructing crumbling building of all sorts, and simply going about daily routines. Only the youngest of the children appeared _genuinely_ cheerful, with more than a few ironically commenting on how they found it cool to be temporarily free from the burdens of school, as not all could afford the trek to Florestica, while closer and still standing schools simply had no room left to accommodate them.

As I ate with my newfound friends at Pluto's Café during lunch, I found myself starting to resent Katsuhiko Jinnai deeply. How could he actually partake in distributing such sorrow and suffering to all of these innocent people? His personal animosity towards Makoto was understandable given what Minori Jinnai had told me, but this warfare… this warfare was _despicable_ and _indefensible_! How is it that he could not realize that? What _madness_ must churn in his mind in order for him to internally justify such callous brutality to the humans of El Hazard? I actually feared for _Haruhi_ if she should encounter this atypically insane _teenager _of all people – a fiend that made Haruhi appear like the very picture of sanity by comparison. Alas, she had already met him however…

"So…" stated Katsuhiko Jinnai, fists firmly planted on his hips with his arms arched outwards, as he stood horizontally across from Haruhi while facing Diva at a slight angle, "What is it that you want to discuss with Haruhi and I?"

"Yeah… and this better not be something boring!" exclaimed Haruhi.

"I very much doubt that you'll find this boring _in the least_, Miss Suzumiya" stated Queen Diva with a sly and telling smile on her face, "Mr. Jinnai, do you recall the prophecies I told you concerning your identity as _the Messenger of God_ sent to us bugrom to lead our people to a promised land of domination, glory, and plenty?"

"Of course I do", responded Katsuhiko Jinnai with a proud grin, "How could I forget a prophecy as divinely inspired as _that_ one _obviously_ is?"

"Yes, well…" continued Queen Diva, "There was _more_ to that prophecy that I kept hidden from you for your own sake… and out of my fruitless hope that it wouldn't come true."

"Oh?" piped up Jinnai in question, finding this quite intriguing, "What's the rest of the prophecy?! Quickly now, Diva – I sense that this is very important!"

"Does it concern _me_ at all?" asked Haruhi, her own interest piqued a bit, and also suspecting that she wouldn't be involved in this private meeting if it didn't involve her in some way.

"It concerns you _greatly_, Miss Suzumiya" answered Queen Diva, "First, though, I must explain the background that leads into _your_ likely part of the prophecy. The prophecy told… that _before_ the Messenger of God would complete his holy mission for the Bugrom Empire he would meet with a seemingly _disastrous_ and _intractable_ setback that would be partly of his own making. Your… _**zeal**_ in your early days in leading bugrom forces into battle was too great for me to bring myself to reveal this to you, Mr. Jinnai. It is why, however, I wanted to stop you from acquiring Ifurita – I feared such an acquisition, or an attempt thereof, would backfire disastrously on you. Now, though, I'm sure you can tell what the prophesized setback in question _is_, can't you?"

"**Yes, I can**" he responded with an initial tone of sneering anger, quickly and correctly interpreting the prophecy, "However, _that_ particular setback has been undone Diva! _Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!_"

"Are you… talking about the setback of how almost all of the bugrom went… _missing_, from my understanding of it?" asked Haruhi.

"That's a rather… _euphemistical_ way of putting it, Miss Suzumiya, but yes, you _can_ put it that way" answered Queen Diva.

Haruhi Suzumiya wanted to ask Katsuhiko Jinnai how in the blue blazes he actually managed to lose _hundreds of thousands of bugrom_… all because of some weird person, object, or event called _the Eye of God_… but she could tell that this was a _particularly_ sore topic for Jinnai so she choose to leave it well enough alone for now.

"Now then…" began Queen Diva, smiling widely, "The prophecy also states that shortly after the setback in question, the identity of _**the final Bugrom Queen**_would be made known. She is called _the perfect ally_ of the Messenger of God, and she would _undo_ the horrors that he had previously endured and suffered. With her aid, the Messenger of God would successful complete his most sanctified mission. In my desire to reign as this final and glorious Bugrom Queen … I have to admit that I had hoped that I myself was _that_ Bugrom Queen. However, after witnessing Miss Suzumiya becoming a bugrom, after witnessing her _already_ becoming beloved by many bugrom including even Groucho…and after watching _you_, Mr. Jinnai, call her a _perfect ally_, I now have _no doubt_ concerning the identity of the final Bugrom Queen."

Haruhi Suzumiya's eyes widened large, and her mouth opened wide, as she gradually began to take in the meaning of Diva's words here.

"Yes, _I_ have no doubt of the identity of the final Bugrom Queen _either_, Diva" stated Jinnai, as he made a sincere polite knowing smile, devoid of any malicious or sinister sense, "You've been a fine Bugrom Queen yourself, of course, Diva… but I look forward to the _perfect alliance_ with the **final** Bugrom Queen!"

He then turned about ninety degrees to face Haruhi and walked towards her. He gently turned her about, and placed one hand on each of her two shoulders, making eye contact with her through gazing intensely down at her eyes. Haruhi Suzumiya, as unshakeable as she was, began to tremble slightly.

"**Haruhi Suzumiya**!" he exclaimed in grandiose fashion, "With _I_ as the Supreme Commander of the Bugrom Empire and with _you_ as its **final Queen**,there will be** no obstacle **thatcan even _hope_ to repel us! Our greatest hopes and most enduring dreams will become _reality_! _Nobody_ – not Sensei Fujisawa, not my turncoat sister Nanami, and _most certainly_ not the _loathsome_ Makoto Mizuhara will stop us! You are the greatest ally that I could have ever hoped for, and I'm sure that the bugrom will accept you with _wide, open arms_ as their final Queen!"

"_K-Katsuhiko…_" stated Haruhi softly, and while blushing, before her more natural assertive personality reasserted itself, "Yes, that's right! I'm going to be Queen of an entire race of extra terrestrials! That's so… that's so… no words can possibly describe how _**incredibly cool**_ that is! He he he…"

"What becomes of _you_, though, Diva?" asked Jinnai with the slightest touch of camaraderie, releasing Haruhi's shoulders, and turning to look at the soon to be _former_ Bugrom Queen.

"After Haruhi is crowned Queen of the Bugrom Empire" stated Diva, "I will remain on as her chief advisor. She will need time to adjust to this new role of _immense responsibility_, after all!"

"I already know what my first command as Bugrom Queen is, though!" Haruhi exclaimed excitedly, and with a huge smile.

"What's that?" asked Katsuhiko Jinnai, wondering what this first command could possibly be.

"As _Queen_, I will not permit the _Supreme Commander_ to be dressed in a _dull, ordinary student uniform_!" she exclaimed

"_**W-what?!**_" exclaimed Jinnai nervously, and in question, fearful of where this was leading.

"As hero to the bugrom people, you need a costume befitting of such a role!" exclaimed Haruhi Suzumiya in explanation.

"Hhmmm…" mused Diva, "Not a bad idea, Queen Suzumiya!"

"_Aaaaaggghhh…!!!_" cried Jinnai, as Haruhi took firm hold of his neck tie, and began to drag him after her.

"Now we need to get some measurements done for you!" she shouted, "We're going to go and make the perfect costume for you! I already have the perfect costume idea for you! He he he!!!"

_*Brrrrzzzt*_

"_**Video recording complete" stated the play-back computer within the Shadow Tribe's innermost laboratory. **_

"_Very_ interesting developments within the Bugrom Empire!" exclaimed Shadow Tribe assassin Nanoha Inverse, "Their ranks have been completely restored, and they're even about to crown a new Queen!"

"They are _indeed_ very interesting developments, Nanoha" stated Lord Nahato, "Our robot spy disguised as a Reconnaissance class bugrom has given us some _priceless_ information to work with."

"I agree, Nahato" came an eerily voice from within the overcastting shadows just behind where Nahato was leaning, as the source of that voice began to move forward towards him, "You have done very well in my absence."

"_**L-Lord Galus!**_" he exclaimed in a mixture of supreme shock and jubilant joy, "How is it possible that you are alive?!"

"You underestimate the Shadow Tribe's scientists, engineers, and technicians" answered Lord Galus, "You gave me to them to bury, and arranged a bodiless funeral for me afterwards thinking that it was impossible for them to revive me. While I was _touched_ by watching the recording of my own funeral, the truth is that reports of my permanent demise were _very much_ exaggerated! Our scientists and engineers have resuscitated me by turning in me into the perfect killing machine – a partly cybernetic being with might far exceeding what I had before! I now intend to resume my rule as leader of the Shadow Tribe, Nahato."

"Absolutely, Lord Galus!" he shouted, "Nobody is more pleased than I am to see that you have returned."

"Now then…" stated Galus, "To the business at hand… Yuki Nagato, will you join us please?"

"Yes, I will do that." she replied coolly and calmly.

"Now, look at the shorter of the two women on that _freeze capture_ there – the one standing next to the man called Katsuhiko Jinnai… do you see here, Yuki?" he asked, pointing at that woman.

"Yes, I do" responded Yuki, her tone still monotonous.

"Do you recognize her, per chance?" asked Galus, very intrigued to see what answer Yuki would give.

The dimmest of memories flashed through Yuki's mind, like slightly distorted video footage. Yuki could _vaguely_ recall an extremely assertive young woman… dragging along an equally young man by his neck tie through the halls of a school… she could also recall a certain sense of _curiosity_ and _impending dread_ concerning that young woman. She could remember little else, though.

"No." answered Yuki, "_I don't_."

"A pity" stated Galus dishonestly, as he was secretly glad that Yuki had seemingly forgot the very identity of her friend Haruhi Suzumiya, "Well, anyway… that woman on the screen… I want you to follow her closely. Use your _invisibility_ power to sneak into the fortress that she currently occupies. Give us regular comprehensive daily reports of what that young Earth woman is up to, including ongoing measurements of her vital signs. Also pay _some_ attention to the scheming of Katsuhiko Jinnai… though he is the _secondary_ objective here. Other than that, simply wait for further direction."

"Yes, I will do that" stated Yuki, before she turned about, beginning to leave.

"Wait, Lord Galus…" began Nahato in protest, "I was going to have Nanoha spy on this new Bugrom Queen for us. Are you sure that Yuki is ready for such a delicate mission as this already?"

"_Again_, Nahato…" stated Lord Galus, "You underestimate our scientists, engineers, and technicians. They have already fully prepared Yuki Nagato for this mission. _Nanoha_ will follow after the _Makoto Mizuhara _party that's currently near the sight of the spacial anomaly in Durasland, and provide us with intelligence on _them_. At this point, it is but a short matter of time before Katsuhiko Jinnai and Makoto Mizuhara renew hostilities against one another, as they have _mutually exclusive_ missions here. They can't _both_ have the _entire_ SOS Brigade, after all – one _must_ ultimately triumph over the other here. When that happens, we will _kill_ the winner of the contest. And, if my suspicions concerning _Haruhi Suzumiya_ prove to be correct, we will then gain _far more_ than merely the death of a hated enemy! _Ha ha ha ha ha ha…!!!"_

**To Be Continued…**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – The Third Night of Haruhi Suzumiya **

With the second day of the SOS Brigade's presence on El Hazard drawing to a close, several important series of events had already been put into motion and were beginning to unfold with a certain sense of oxymoronically _controlled chaos_ – like dominoes falling over one after another in a precise order; the _process_ is orderly, but _each_ _individual_ _effect itself_ tended to be destructive or jarring. I began to wonder if the ways events were currently playing out related at all to Itsuki's earlier comments to me of how a lot needed to happen in a very precise series of events in order for the possible solution to all of our issues with Haruhi to be resolved.

Haruhi, for her part, _had_ never been happier, ensuring that _enclosed spaces_ had, temporarily at least, became a concern of the past. So, here, _some_ supporting evidence for Itsuki's earlier comments was already clear.

After having Groucho take measurements of Katsuhiko Jinnai in order for her to begin working upon presumably far more gaudy and grandiose apparel for the Bugrom Supreme Commander to wear, Haruhi Suzumiya comfortably settled into her second evening and night in El Hazard by alternating between working on that costume and beginning to read the _Bugrom resource manual_ that Jinnai had earlier wrote for her. This gave Jinnai a temporary evening respite from the often unquenchable demands of Haruhi, enabling him to distribute pictures of Itsuki, Mikuru, Yuki, and myself to each of the first twenty search parties that _Gummo_ had successfully pieced together for him.

These twenty search parties were sent out to twenty different general El Hazard locations, each such location carefully chosen by Jinnai in order to maximize the total map area covered with out leaving a single compass direction or important place of note unaccounted for. While Jinnai lacked their knowledge of the precise location of, or even _awareness_ of, the spatial anomalies in El Hazard that accompanied the SOS Brigade's arrival in El Hazard, he undeniably had the new friends of Itsuki and I _decisively_ beat when it came to the sheer number of searchers that he could employ. It would prove to be a real race to see who would find Mikuru first, and whether she would end up aligned with _the Alliance_ or with _the Bugrom_. The first real, serious, _violent_ combat resulting from that race would not involve either of Makoto's two search teams, however, but rather the _Three Priestesses_.

"_**Where have they all come from?!**_" exclaimed Afura Mann in shocked query over the twenty bugrom, and to her friend Shayla Shayla, as the two had suddenly found themselves under siege by one of Jinnai's more aggressive twenty-bugrom search parties, as that party desired _revenge_ on the Priestesses.

"I don't know, Afura…" responded Shayla Shayla tensely, with her back up against Afura Mann's, both in a defense posture as the two had suddenly found themselves surrounded by bugrom at the summit of Mount Muldoon, "But I know where we're _sending_ them! **Foreshadowing Fiery**_** Flash!**__"_

Actual waves of electrically charged flame began to whisk about the bugrom, forcing three of them to rush away in fear.

"_Now_, Afura!" exclaimed Shayla Shayla, "Hit them with your _**Vacuum Slash**_!"

"Stop calling it that!" shouted Afura Mann, before actually using the attack that Shayla Shayla was referring to, "You only get to name your _own_ attacks, Shayla!"

As _sundering flame attacks_ intermingled with _devastating cyclonic strikes_, causing the bugrom to disperse in horror like I did when _Asakura_ tried to kill me, most of this overly aggressive twenty-bugrom search party began to ironically _cool down_, thinking that revenge might have to wait until another day. Still, one bugrom in this search party had taken part in the new _dodge ball_ games that were now the _recreational rage _of the bugrom. Remembering the lessons learned there, he was able to race sideways back and forth between the Priestesses attacks, sneak in behind Afura, and begin to leap upon her from above and behind! It looked as though this particular bugrom solider might actually score a blow in this battle… until the third Priestess entered the scene.

"Afura… behind you!" shouted Miz Mishtal, as she gestured forward with her right arm and hand, to cause a highly pressurized stream of water to strike against the skillful bugrom attacker with enough force to almost concuss him.

The failure of the valiant but futile dash of that one bugrom was enough to convince the entire search party to race off in retreat.

"We have to head after them!" exclaimed Shayla Shayla, as wisps of flame danced all about her, and she pumped a fist in a show of fortitude.

"_No_, Shayla…" stated Afura Mann, placing a hand on Shayla Shayla's shoulder, "We shouldn't. Not yet!"

"Why not?" asked Shayla Shayla, surprised to hear Afura say this.

"Because we might be running into a trap if we do that" stated Miz Mishtal, answering on Afura's behalf, "The Bugrom Empire was reduced to only a paltry handful of soldiers – less than _half_ of what attacked us today! Before we rush off after the bugrom, we have to find out _how_ their numbers have increased, and by how _much_ have they increased."

"Not only that…" added in Afura, "But that one bugrom fought _far_ more skillfully than these insects usually do! I sense that something _strange_ is behind that as well."

"Yeah…" relented Shayla Shayla, somewhat dejectedly, "I suppose that you gals are right. Still, we can't just stand around here! We have to do _something_ about these new bugrom!"

"_I_ intend to head off after Makoto and Sensei Fujisawa to warn them about them" replied Miz Mishtal, finding this situation to be the perfect excuse to spend more quality time with Sensei Fujisawa, "Meanwhile I suggest that you and Afura warn the broader _Alliance_ of the possible new threat that may be facing them. You should both head off to Florestica!"

"I agree!" stated Afura, "Let's go, Shayla! We must make sure that the Alliance is prepared for any new bugrom assault!"

However, it's unlikely that warning _the Alliance_ would do much good. At its core, the Alliance was in a very internally contentious state, as petty squabbling between various heads of state over scarce resources needed to rebuild from the last war was what _Princess Rune Venus_ had been left to cope with in recent weeks. It was a very trying time for her – _doubly so_ since her sister _Fatora_ tended to shirk such royal responsibilities. _Londs_ and _Schtalbaugh_ became increasingly concerned over Princess Rune Venus' basic mental well-being given the severe stresses she had been constantly under practically since the four Earthlings from Shinonome had arrived in El Hazard. I would have to remind Itsuki to _never_ let me even _think_ of a career in _politics_.

Into this tense scene in the capitol of Florestica where minds were intensely but _narrowly_ focused, the bugrom spy _Sasuke_ would find little resistance and _certainly_ no compromising glances heading his way. _Chico's_ mission was considerably more arduous as he had to sift through immensely vast numbers of returned Bugrom to ensure that roughly half of them began transforming the latest Bugrom fortress into a full-fledge rebuilt _Hive _as soon as possible. In addition to this, nearby mineral deposits had to be mined and smelted immediately for use in this laborious work. Thankfully for Chico, there was a synergistic excitement simply crackling through the restored ranks of the bugrom, causing many to eagerly sign up for either Hive reconstruction or search party duties – as almost all bugrom quickly became aware through _word of antennae_ that these were the only two immediate roles that Katsuhiko Jinnai had made explicitly available to all but a select few of them.

Given that Diva had chosen to start informing the bugrom people of it as quickly as possible, news of Haruhi Suzumiya becoming the Bugrom Queen in waiting spread like proverbial wildfire as well, prompting a few bugrom who didn't want to engage in _wild goose chases_ or _heavy and messy building construction work_ to instead begin working upon special gifts for Haruhi in anticipation of her crowing ceremony. Jinnai and Diva, while out of Haruhi's presence, secretly and discreetly agreed that Haruhi's _official_ crowing ceremony should be saved to coincide with commemorating the completion of the rebuilding of _the Hive_… but that, for all intents and purposes, she would exercise full authority as Bugrom Queen _immediately_… not that Haruhi would have it any other way, of course. All of this commotion occurred on merely the _second night_ following Haruhi's arrival in El Hazard. It would be exceedingly difficult to overstate the impact that she had already had on this alien world that so enchanted and enticed her. Hence, Haruhi slept very soundly and with an unusual serenity for herself, with her only concern being Itsuki, Mikuru, Yuki, and I. Here, she had decided to place full faith in Jinnai to find us, holding him in high esteem. Jinnai and Diva similarly slept well, with Jinnai _overjoyed_ at most recent happenings and Diva coming to terms with her reduced role within the Bugrom Empire.

As for Makoto and Fujisawa's parties, we took flight on the _Camerock_ after failing to find Haruhi, Mikuru, or Yuki anywhere in Curtisfulla. After a short flight, we landed in the Durasland village of _Canbia_, staying the night at a more spacious inn with beds for _all_ of us this time. _Finally_, Itsuki and I would manage to get a good full night's sleep, as we had both become very drained and weary from the events of the past two days. The always energetic Alielle and Fatora spent most of the night at a local discotheque called _the Durasland Dive_, however. Apparently, it was one of Fatora's favorite nightspots that she hadn't had a chance to enjoy visiting in quite some time. Predictably, though, this resulted in Alielle and Fatora _slowing us down_ on the morning of our third day in El Hazard.

"Come on you two!" shouted Nanami at them, "_Get up!_ We have important searching to do!"

"_**~Ooohhhh…~!" **_cried Alielle in pain, curling up into a fetal position underneath her bed's covers, while holding her head tightly with both hands, "My head… it hurts _sooooo_ much! It's throbbing more than my heart did during my first night with Fatora! I can't go _anywhere_ today!"

"…Yeah" moaned Fatora, stretching her limbs out all over the bed in a very languishing fashion, showing how out of it she currently was, "Have some mercy, will you! We just need a few more hours of sleep… _please!_"

"You see, Sensei…" stated Makoto, "_This_ is _another_ reason why we don't want you drinking alcohol all the time!"

"Please don't compare me to those two, Makoto" responded Sensei Fujisawa, "Unlike them, _I_ can hold my liqueur!"

"Yeah…" chimed in Nanami, "And you've also developed a better sense of when and when _not_ to drink, Sensei! These two girls are simply _hopeless_!"

"Well… the solution to the issue here is obvious, if you ask me." I stated.

"What's that, Kyon?" asked Makoto.

"Your search party is all ready to go, Makoto." I replied, "Nanami, you, and I can begin searching through Canbia right away. Sensei Fujisawa and Koizumi should stay here with Alielle and Fatora. Once they're ready to go, then Sensei Fujisawa's search team can begin searching in the forests and plains immediately surrounding Canbia… assuming that your team doesn't find anybody _before_ then, of course."

The fact that this would give me an invaluable head start on Alielle and Fatora was all just a _happy coincidence_, of course.

"That's… probably a good idea, Kyon" stated Itsuki, "I don't think that we're going to be able to move these two any time soon, and we can't simply abandon them here so…"

"Ha!" laughed Nanami derisively, "You're too soft, Koizumi! Alielle and Fatora here could use to learn a lesson or two! But… I'm fine with Kyon's idea anyway. Let's get going, Makoto!"

"Wait, Nanami!" exclaimed Makoto in protest, "We need to make sure that Sensei Fujisawa is Ok with Kyon's idea. Are you, Sensei?"

"Sure, Makoto" answered Fujisawa, "I'll just take a more casual look around the town here, if Koizumi doesn't mind staying by himself with Alielle and Fatora. You never know what nice drinking holes you might fine!"

"_Aaahhh…_ I'm not really sure about this any more, Nanami!" piped up a nervous Makoto.

"Oh, come on, Makoto!" shouted Nanami, leaning in towards him with both hands on her hips, "Don't be such a _wuss_! Let's get searching Canbia already!"

And with that, Makoto, Nanami, and I left the inn to begin our search, while Masamichi Fujisawa left slowly behind us, beginning a much more casual look around town, and Koizumi stayed behind to make sure that Alielle and Fatora would be alright. What Nanami had failed to notice in her hasty exit from the building was the presence of a Shadow Tribe Assassin overlooking our inn room door from a nearby rooftop.

"Hhhmmmm…" mused Nanoha Inverse, pointing her sleek and slender _Raging Heart_ sniper rifle at that door, while lying on top of the nearby rooftop, spying us through _Raging Heart's_ scope, "It looks like only _one_ of the two Makoto search teams are going to be seriously searching for SOS Brigade members this morning. I was debriefed by Nahato to be cautious around Nanami given her ability to spot Shadow Tribe members. So… I think I'll keep close tabs on _Masamichi Fujisawa_ for now!"

Meanwhile, the SOS Brigade's third morning in El Hazard would prove to be a bit more exciting over at the latest Bugrom fortress…

"Welcome to today's ultra-super-special SOS Brigade morning meeting!" exclaimed Haruhi Suzumiya, having gathered together Diva and about two dozen bugrom, including Groucho, Harpo, and Margaret, for a special event that she had planned out in a makeshift school club meeting room of sorts.

Is this where we get to see the boss's new look? whispered Groucho to Diva.

"Yes" Diva whispered back to him, "It should prove quite enlightening!"

Haruhi Suzumiya was standing behind a podium of sorts, with large curtains surrounding where Katsuhiko Jinnai was standing in the innermost corner of the room, directly across horizontally from Haruhi. Behind those curtains, and underneath the new _helmet_ he was wearing, Jinnai's eye was twitching in a nervous anger of sorts while he was deeply dreading the embarrassment that he could just tell would soon be his…

"Now, new _SOS Brigade members Harpo and Margaret_… you have to do this _just right_!" shouted Haruhi.

You can count on us, Haruhi! replied Margaret

"Good!" responded Haruhi, "Make sure you do this at the same time! Once I'm done making the introduction, I want you to do a drum roll Harpo at exactly the same time as Margaret raises the curtains!"

I'm prepared to beat these drums rapidly, Haruhi! responded Harpo.

"Perfect!" stated Haruhi cheerfully and with a wide smile, as she was quite pumped to show off her costumer-making talents to her new Bugrom friends and people, "Now then… I give to you the hero of the Bugrom people! I give you our _**Champion of Truth, Justice, and the Bugrom Way!**_ I give you… _**SOS Man!!**__**!**_"

And then, just as Haruhi had requested, Harpo provided a drum roll while Margaret raised the curtains! And what came next… was the strangest sight the bugrom had ever seen.

From neck to toe, Katsuhiko Jinnai was clad in blue and red spandex. He had red spandex shorts outside of a blue spandex bodysuit. He had matching red colored boots with a v-shaped opening in the front. He was also wearing a matching red cape upon his neck and back. On the chest of his blue spandex bodysuit was the symbol of the SOS Brigade! That symbol was also on the center of his cape. The one part of the costume that Katsuhiko Jinnai actually _liked_, and in fact had _pleaded_ with Haruhi for, was the helmet. He felt that if he was to endure this total embarrassment, it would be easier to do so with his eyes and some of his face behind a mask of sorts. So, included along with his western comic book inspired costume came a helmet straight out of the original _Mobile Suit Gundam_ anime. He was wearing an exact life-sized replica of _Char Aznable's_ helmet, only golden instead of silver!

With Haruhi's right arm outstretched in presentation gesture towards Jinnai, with the drum roll completed and the curtains raised, Haruhi eagerly awaited to be basked in cheers for her work. Alas, all she got was blinking bugrom eyes and a stunned Groucho. Jinnai was going _beat red_ underneath his helmet.

Diva… just what is the boss wearing?! stated Groucho in surprise.

"I… have never seen so much spandex used for one outfit before" replied Diva, "Haruhi certainly has very… unique tastes."

After a couple nervous eyebrow twitches of her own, and the sound of Jinnai about to start sobbing, Haruhi exploded with anger at the other bugrom in the room.

"Why aren't you cheering?!" she exclaimed in angry question, "_I_ made that costume – **me!** Aren't you going to cheer for your Queen in waiting?!"

Uummm… yeah, great job, Haruhi! began one bugrom, beginning a slow clap of sorts, That's the… _loudest_ outfit I've ever seen! Well done!

Yeah… you now look really great, boss! stated Harpo, managing a polite cheer, You'll utterly confuse and stun the Alliance in _that_ outfit!

As Jinnai actually began sobbing – his carefully cultivated imposing image amongst the bugrom being _completely dashed_, he felt – the bugrom in the room managed a _very_ anxious and half-hearted applause.

"_Grrrr…_" began Haruhi in anger, tightly rolling up her costume design papers in one hand, "_That_ cheer's not good enough! Maybe if I can get the full effect of a dramatically flapping cape going… **Harpo!** Turn on the _one hundred mile per hour fan_ that I placed directly in front of _SOS Man!_"

"_**W-what?!**_" exclaimed Jinnai in horrified questioning realization.

"_AAaaaggghhh…!!!_" he shouted in extreme duress as the one hundred mile per hour winds pushed him violently against the wall behind him.

Haruhi rushed over to stand just outside of the wind current, but near the half-fallen Jinnai. In great displeasure, she screamed at him while throttling her rolled-up costume design papers in a raised right hand.

"_**How do you expect to be an effective Supreme Commander of the Bugrom Empire when you can't even withstand one hundred mile per hour winds?!**__"_ Haruhi screamed in rhetorical question at him, "Katsuhiko… I'm simply going to have to put you through a grueling fitness regimen until you're in decent shape!"

"_Exercise_… _**gym?!**_" exclaimed Katsuhiko in pale white horror, before he quickly picked himself up, and rushed away from Haruhi, "_No…_ anything but that!"

"I'm a top gym student so I'll be able to whip even _you_ into shape in no time!" exclaimed Haruhi proudly, "So don't worry about it."

"No, Haruhi… wait!" shouted Jinnai, "I don't need to get into shape. The bugrom already love my new outfit…"

Jinnai then turned his face towards, and leaned in heavily towards, the bugrom crowd, sneering as menacingly as he possibly could.

"…_Right?!_" he asked of them, the _dire_ implications of his words obvious.

That's the best costume I've ever seen! exclaimed one bugrom, cheering wildly

Wow… _so splendiferous! So spectacular!_ Haruhi – you are a true artiste! shouted another.

And SOS Man… what a cool name! It's simply to die for! stated another bugrom

The disingenuous cheering and compliments were quite loud and over-the-top, as no bugrom wanted to suffer Jinnai's conception of _punishment_.

"Yay!" shouted Haruhi in renewed joy, pumping her fist into the air, "They like my SOS Man costume after all!"

'_Phew_' thought Jinnai to himself, proudly adjusting his Char Aznable helmet, 'Crisis averted!'

"You still have to get into better shape, though, Katsuhiko" stated Haruhi as she rushed up to him to say it close to his face; indicating that _crisis_ was _not_ averted.

Jinnai's mind simply _scrambled_ for a way to get out of this precarious predicament.

"Wait… no… there's no time for me to be in gym class!" he shouted.

"Why's that?" asked Haruhi a bit impatiently.

"_Because…_" began Jinnai, as he finally found the graceful exit that he was looking for, "I'm about to put together our main search and combat team! The other search parties haven't reported back yet, and we have to find your fellow SOS Brigade members – post-haste!"

"**That's right!**" exclaimed Haruhi excitedly, greatly desiring both to find her missing SOS Brigade comrades as well as more fully explore the alien world of El Hazard, "Ok, we'll put off me giving you gym classes for later. Let's go find my missing SOS Brigade members then!"

Haruhi then tightly grabbed SOS Man's hand, and began dragging him after her.

"_Aaaaggghhhh…!_" Jinnai shouted once more, not yet used to Haruhi's blazing speed.

Unbeknownst to Jinnai, Haruhi, Diva, or any of the bugrom, this entire scene had been spied by the flying invisible form of Yuki Nagato who had slipped into the bugrom fortress earlier that same morning. Yuki, frankly, had found her top two objectives – Haruhi Suzumiya and Katsuhiko Jinnai – to be a rather odd pair. Indeed, given their _inept zaniness_, as she judged it, she seriously began to wonder why the Shadow Tribe took any interest in them. Still… the scene had raised shimmering fragments of lost memory data into her mind… it made her somehow recall this young woman – Haruhi Suzumiya – forcing various costumes unto a seemingly very timid but well endowed young girl who's name escaped Yuki at the moment.

Then, of course, there _were_ the vital signs that Yuki was picking up from Haruhi…

"_My God…_" stated an aghast Nahato from a Shadow Tribe control room, as Yuki's readings of Haruhi's vital signs were immediately transferred back to the computers of that control room for display purposes, "All of Haruhi Suzumiya's vital signs are perfectly normal, but… but the latent power readings that Yuki is picking up coming from within that girl…!"

"Yes, Nahato, it is as I suspected" added in Lord Galus, "Jinnai was _right_ in that mere chance or fortune does not resurrect hundreds of thousands of bugrom. However, what escaped _his_ notice is how it was simply _too coincidental_ for this resurrection to _just happen_ to occur immediately after Haruhi Suzumiya's arrival in El Hazard and her mutually favorable introduction to the remnants of the Bugrom Empire. The person behind the numerical restoration of the bugrom is undeniably _her_."

"How can she have such vast creative and destructive power and yet actually be unaware of it?!" exclaimed Nahato in excited questioning.

"I suspect that Haruhi Suzumiya, like Katsuhiko Jinnai as well, simply would find the notion of a teenage girl from Earth holding almost limitless creative, destructive, and reality altering power within her to be beyond the pale – an absurdity not worth even a fleeting moment's consideration" answered Galus, "But yes… to find _neigh omnipotence _inside a girl **very far indeed** from _omniscience_ is rather disconcerting. But… ultimately, it's the practical implications of this inescapable reality that ought to concern us, Nahato. Within Haruhi lies the power necessary to achieve our desired destruction of all of El Hazard! Now, with Yuki Nagato continuing to learn more about Haruhi for us we will eventually discover what it is we must do to _manipulate_ her into using that power in a way that we desire."

Mikuru's desires this morning were of a much more humble and _sensible_ sort. It was going to be a very important day at the _Boudicastra Bistro. _With this in mind, the Manager of that establishment, Oliver Saturn, lined up all of his waiters, waitresses, cooks, and cleaners to essentially read them the riot act and seek to ensure that all of them would do nothing but their best work today. He did this just before the restaurant's normal morning opening.

"Now…" he began, walking with a firm strut directly up and down this line of workers, quickly sizing each of them up to ensure perfect cleanliness, personal grooming, and tidiness for each of them, "As you may have recently learned, the young Prince Randorm of Durasland will be making his first visit here to Canbia in quite some time – his first visit since the fall of the Bugrom Empire in fact. He will likely be dropping in here for either lunch or dinner, as this bistro is considered an eatery of great refinement. We have to ensure that our illustrious Prince gets a good impression from every aspect of this restaurant! If he enjoys his meal here, the comfort and cleanliness and style of the décor, and is pleased by the service received, then that would mean positive promotion for our bistro that goes beyond what any amount of coin could buy! On the other hand… a bad impression could simply ruin us!"

Mikuru started to tremble ever so slightly over what was being said here. Nervous sweat began to appear on her brow.

"_**Mikuru!**_" shouted Oliver at her, taking note of this, "Is anything wrong?"

"N-No sir!" she stammered in reply, "Everything's fine!"

"Did you make sure to familiarize yourself with our entire menu like I told you to do?"

"Y-y-yes, I did!" she replied.

"Then have more confidence in yourself!" exclaimed Oliver, "You have a very pleasing smile and a charming personality. I can tell that already. You simply need to keep things a bit more straight in your head. Also remember that we're all _a team_ here at the Boudicastra Bistro. We look out for each other, just like Head Cook Alderak looked out for you yesterday. Just stay calm and focused and everything will be fine!"

"I'll make sure to do that, sir" stated Mikuru, forcing a smile, "T-thanks for the kind words and encouragement, sir."

"No problem" responded Oliver, "Ok, everyone… let's get ready to go!"

_Getting ready to go_ was precisely what Haruhi Suzumiya and her _SOS Man _were doing at the uppermost entrance and exit of the latest bugrom fortress. Crisp winds and clear blue skies on a bright sunny day was what welcomed them as they were about to begin their journey. Katsuhiko Jinnai was turning more than a few heads in his SOS Man costume, but was beginning to become less self-conscious of it. He had gathered up his core named group of top bugrom soldiers, freeing them from some lengthy tasks that were still in progress. Jinnai was satisfied that the Bugrom Empire as a whole could handle those tasks from that point on. With Groucho, Harpo, Zeppo, Gummo, Chico, Margaret, the Red Comet, and the Blue Drop all gathered and ready to go, he simply began passing out some last minute instructions to each of them.

"Now… make sure to stay in tight formation while we begin to search in and around _Canbia_ in Durasland!" he exclaimed, "We want to remain as inconspicuous as possible. The less attention we gain from the humans there the better!"

"Why's that?" asked a perplexed and concerned Haruhi.

"_**You don't know?!**_" replied a perplexed Jinnai in question of his own, "Haven't you been paying the least bit of attention to what I've been saying about the Alliance?!"

"_Yeah_, **I have!**" responded Haruhi a bit angrily, "But you never told me that these places called Canbia and Durasland were **in** the Alliance!"

"…You're right" conceded Jinnai in a _very_ atypical moment of essentially admitting error, "Things have been moving about so quickly lately that I haven't had a chance to go over the world map of El Hazard with you yet!"

"It's Ok" replied Haruhi forgivingly and cheerfully, appreciating that Jinnai quickly admitted error here unlike when he held on to the _Alliance spy_ claim _long_ after she had correct him on it, "It's much more exciting to find out about the world up close and personal than from some _boring old map_, any way! So… I'll be riding with you, Groucho, and Margaret in the Red Comet, right?"

"Right!" shouted Jinnai in response, "Everybody else will be in the Blue Drop, flying right behind us. This should be an enjoyable mission! I haven't had the _thrill_ of leading a meaningful military field operation in quite some time! _Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!_"

"I agree!" exclaimed Haruhi in turn, "It's _**really cool**_ that you like adventuring like I do, Katsuhiko! We're going to have a very fun time! I can't wait to introduce you to Kyon, Koizumi, Mikuru, and Yuki! I really hope that you have a positive influence on Kyon especially!"

"I'm afraid I have to advise against you going on this expedition, Miss Suzumiya" stated Diva, making a surprising entrance unto the scene.

"Huh… why's that, Diva?" asked a stunned Jinnai.

"Yeah, I really want to start adventuring through El Hazard!" exclaimed Haruhi.

"It is not the role of the Bugrom Queen to go _adventuring_ through El Hazard" explained Diva, "To the extent that the bugrom engages in such _adventuring_, that is primarily the business of the Supreme Commander! _The Bugrom Queen_ has to ensure that she remains in her Hive as much as possible, adventuring out of it only when truly momentous events are about to occur."

"**But we're **_**not**_** in **_**the Hive**_**, Diva!**" exclaimed Jinnai, as he wanted Haruhi at his side for this mission.

"And besides, finding my missing SOS Brigade _will_ be a momentous occasion!" added in Haruhi.

"For _you_, Miss Suzumiya, but not necessarily for the bugrom people as a whole" replied Diva, "And while this is not the Hive, Mr. Jinnai, it now essentially functions as such. Miss Suzumiya… if you wish to become a good Bugrom Queen you will need to learn to grow accustomed to working from within your Hive headquarters."

Haruhi didn't know what to say to this. She _loved_ the idea of being Bugrom Queen… but this _particular aspect_ of the role was quite displeasing for her. She felt _torn_ between a desire to adventure, and an equally powerful desire to be the best Queen that any race of extra terrestrials could ever have!

"Diva, how am I supposed to get Haruhi's friends to come back with me when Haruhi isn't even there to confirm that what I'm telling them about her is true?!" shouted Jinnai in impassioned question.

"Why, Mr. Jinnai, your very outfit _screams_ 'SOS Brigade', does it not?" asked Diva in turn, "That _alone_ is clear signal to Miss Suzumiya's friends to trust you!"

At this point, Jinnai simply sighed, signaling that he would relent to Diva's desires if Haruhi did. Haruhi's desire to become the best Queen that any race of extra terrestrials could ever have hence won out in the dueling desires within her heart.

"**Fine!**" she shouted in great temperamental displeasure, "I'll stay here then."

"There is no need to be upset, Miss Suzumiya" stated Diva, "There are many _pleasing_ and _lengthy_ tasks here for you to do! You have yet to finish reading Mr. Jinnai's 'Bugrom resource manual', and there's also the matter of applying your special training to all of the bugrom. You want _all_ of them to become full-fledge members of your SOS Brigade, correct?"

"**Yes, that's right!**" piped up Haruhi, just remembering that thanks to Diva's words, "And yeah… I guess that _will_ take a lot of time, huh? Well… adventuring is really fun, but so is enlarging the SOS Brigade! I'll focus on that then."

Haruhi then turned to make some final words to Jinnai.

"I'm counting on you to find my missing friends for me, _**SOS Man!**_" she shouted to him, "I can't be there to help out, so please don't fail me!"

"SOS Man _never_ fails!" exclaimed Jinnai, _startling_ his troops by how he appeared to be actually starting to comfortably adopt this newfound _SOS Man_ persona of his, "Now then, it's off to Canbia in Durasland!"

With great laughter, Jinnai and his assembled bugrom forces mounted the Red Comet and the Blue Drop. The wings of the Red Comet and the Blue Drop began to buzz loudly, and they were off to Durasland! _Everything_, save Haruhi and Yuki of course, was now converging on Canbia. The _race_ to find Mikuru would prove to be a tumultuous one fraught with many dangers. _Sigh_. I had a distinct sinking sensation that things, even in Haruhi's absence, would not go well…

To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 – The SOS Man of Haruhi Suzumiya **

Canbia reminded me of the old cliche "it was the best of times… and it was the worst of times". That overly quoted paradoxical line nonetheless greatly reflected the internal inconsistencies of Canbia. While Canbia was a village, likely of a population no more than a few thousand, it was still home to large inns, numerous night spots of note, a large local school for all ages, and a vast array of restaurants of all sizes and for people of all socioeconomic backgrounds. How could such a small town afford so many amazing amenities? _Political bribery, blackmailing and corruption_ were the only possibilities that I could think of – political bribery, blackmailing, and corruption _at least_ on Haruhi's level, if not even worse. In order to see if my skeptical suspicions here was founded or not, I decided to question Makoto and Nanami on the issue.

"Canbia was largely spared the ravages of the war between the Alliance and the Bugrom" answered Makoto, "By the time that Jinnai's armies had reached Canbia, almost the entire country of Durosland had been conquered. Hence, Canbia chose to…"

"Surrender!" exclaimed a highly displeased Nanami Jinnai, finishing Makoto's sentence for him, "Those yellow-bellied cowards didn't even try to put up a fight! They just caved in to my brother's insane _unconditional surrender_ demands, no doubt making his day!"

"Nanami!" piped up Makoto, about to speak in Canbia's defence, "Canbia, due to its geographical location near two important national borders, is primarily a merchant town… you, of all people should know that. This town has very few soldiers or even law enforcement officers stationed within it…"

"…Which _also_ makes it a town ripe for all sorts of petty bullies, crooks, and thieves to destabilize the entire economy here!" stated Nanami, again taking up where Makoto left off, "The Durosland nobles focus far too much attention into their capitol city. _Sure_, that capitol city has the most beautiful scene with one lush green central islet surrounded by other lush green islets, but still…!"

Boudicastra Bistro Manager Oliver Saturn's determination, then, to impress Prince Randorm made perfect sense. So, too, did Canbia's internal inconsistencies. Makoto's answer was part of the reason, but the larger factor was Canbia's simple geographical location, making it an ideal stop over spot for foreign visitors and tourists entering into Durosland. In any event, our search team continued to look about Canbia through out the day, stopping virtually every passerby we came across to present him or her with a picture of Haruhi, Mikuru, and Yuki, to ask if either had been sighted. _Finally_, after several hours of questioning and searching, we found a lead on one of them – we found a lead on Mikuru! We headed straight towards where that lead led us to – we headed to the Boudicastra Bistro!

At that Boudicastro Bistro, Mikuru had been doing simply superb waitressing work this morning, as her cheerfulness and sweetness proved increasingly contagious. Oliver Saturn, Head Cook Alderak, and several of Mikuru's coworkers grinned and smiled over the progress that Mikuru was making as a waitress. Oliver even gave Mikuru a thumbs up after she managed to _perfectly_ handle one particularly difficult order involving numerous dishes with special cooking preparation requests and added condiments. The day was simply going swimmingly for Mikuru until Prince Randorm arrived…

The tall, handsome, and muscular Prince Randorm, garbed in the prerequisite red and purple royal garb of Durosland, turned every eye in the Boudicastra Bistro, and caused many to go silent in shock, by how he simply casually strolled in to the eatery as though he was a commoner. Randorm's royal guard entourage followed quickly behind him, gently chiding the young twenty year old Prince for making such a nonchalant entrance. Randorm laughed off such comments by stating that a royal who considers himself better than the commoners didn't deserve to be a royal at all! Nevertheless, Oliver Saturn quickly treated Randorm as a superior to the commoners, and quickly met Randorm near the stools in front of the cashier and mixer preparer. He assigned his two most senior waitresses to Randorm as the Prince sat down to eat, making a great sigh of relief to finally be off his feet. The men who followed only a couple minutes behind Randorm would not be as friendly and gregarious as him, however…

Oliver Saturn had a criminally inclined younger brother who deeply resented his much more successful and admired older sibling. The younger brother was an _edgier_ sort, to borrow an overused euphemism, as he was one of the few people in all of El Hazard to have taken to wearing thick leather jackets and bright red triangular shades. He also wore a simple white shirt with a large opening in the front, to better display his golden neck chains and his hairy though firm and solid chest. _Brandon Saturn_ was pure theatrical machismo, and like a lot of men who value masculinity a bit too much, he loved to control and dominate women. Today's dinner activities gave Brandon a chance to achieve two of his more malicious goals at once. With two of his following thugs joining him, he was going to try to _ruin_ his brother's attempt to give a good impression of the Boudicastra Bistro to Prince Randorm… and he was planning to do it by getting one of Oliver Saturn's waitresses to make an unsightly scene through reaction to his groping and sexual harassment of her.

Most of the waitresses were all too familiar with Brandon Saturn, and hence none headed his way when he entered the bistro. Normally, the male waiters would rush over to ensure that all the female waitresses were spared Brandon Saturn's depravations. But with Prince Randorm here, a larger than normal crowd had gathered at the Boudicastra Bistro, resulting in all the male waiters being caught up with all the orders that they could handle. Most tragically, only the ever eager to please Mikuru was both free to take Brandon's order, and also earnest to do so.

"Good day, sir!" she exclaimed cheerfully and confidently, as Oliver's thumbs up had made her more sure of herself than normal, "Welcome to the Boudicastra Bistro, where the food is priceless but the smiles are free! May I take your order?"

Brandon Saturn grinned maliciously, while his two gang members chuckled loudly, as they could tell that Mikuru was new here, and may prove less… _resistant_ to their lewd advances than most of the other waitresses were.

"_Sure…_" stated Brandon, in a sarcasm that dripped more than the Boudicastra's most syrupy desert, "But I don't know what to order yet. Why don't you sit next to me for a second, and we can go over the menu a bit? I'd like to know what you'd recommend…"

"U-um…" began Mikuru in reply, taken a bit aback by this unusual request, but not wanting to risk making her quality of service seem the least bit questionable given that the Prince himself was in the building, "T-t-that'll be no problem sir."

Mikuru then sat down next to the _pugnacious pervert_, and opened up the menu for him.

"So, what's your name, lovely young lady…?" asked Brandon in the most gentlemanly voice that he could muster, which certainly wasn't much…

"M-Mikuru As-Asahina, sir!" she answered, as her body started to firm up as she began to fear that Brandon and his two friends wanted more than mere meal recommendations.

"_So…_" continued Brandon, as he began to glide one hand around Mikuru's back, and very discreetly down the back of it, "What do you make of this one dish here that the boys and me thinks sounds good? I believe it's called the _Hot Hindquarters Heliosteak_."

The _helios_ were a large wild boar-like animal race of El Hazard. Their hindquarters were particularly juicy when cooked well, and were a delicacy in Durosland. As Brandon's hand grazed ever farther down Mikuru's back, however, it was clear that the despicable Brandon _really_ had his mind focused on a different sort of delicate hindquarters. With his two subordinates snickering loudly in part to egg on their boss, Brandon began to rub his hand all over Mikuru's butt, and he even began to slide a couple fingers beneath the waitress dress fabric that was covering it.

Mikuru wanted to _scream_ in great displeasure over this lascivious insensitive gesture… but she also had a desperate desire to not let down her new dear boss Mr. Saturn. So, she held back any and all stuttering objections and tears, though her eyes began to swell up and she frowned deeply because of it. Regardless, though, she was too distraught to focus on Brandon's question, as insincere as it was.

"_Hey…_" continued the cruel carnal fiend Brandon, "Aren't you going to answer my question about the Hot Hindquarters Heliosteak? Also, I can't pick out the description for it given underneath the meal heading. Could you please _lean over_, and read it out to me?"

Mikuru felt so deeply distraught and sad. In a way, this was _far_ worse than anything Haruhi had ever done to her. With Haruhi, at least there was no malevolence behind the molestation, and there was no Oliver Saturn to let down from engaging in her instinctual crying and loud protestations when groped and undressed undesirably. Tears gently flowed down Mikuru's cheek, as she could tell that she couldn't hold back much longer. She felt so very sorry for her boss Mr. Saturn, and how she would be undoubtedly disappointing him, and ruining the nice Prince Randorm's meal setting, any second now.

One man – one _real_ man of _gallant_ machismo – would not let it happen however…

"_**FUJISAWA KIIIIICK!!!" **_came the bold decisive shout of the finest hand-to-hand combatant in all of El Hazard.

Sensei Fujisawa, Itsuki Koizumi, and even the recovered Alielle and Fatora, had all decided to have a meal at the Boudicastra Bistro for dinner. Once Fujisawa saw the lovely Asahina being horribly mistreated, the chivalrous charging soul in him did what came naturally – he jumped over Brandon Saturn's meal table to deliver a bone-rattling kick right to the philanderer's jaw, almost knocking him out cold and breaking his triangular shades!

"_**Why you?!**_" shouted one of Brandon Saturn's subordinates, "We're going to make you _eat_ that foot for using it on the boss!"

With two loud and thrashing _Fujisawa Punches_, however, Brandon Saturn's fellow gang members were soon pulverized.

"You fools!" exclaimed a very disenchanted Brandon Saturn, "Don't you know who that is?! That's _Masamichi Fujisawa_, you numbskulls! You can't fight _him_! Let's get outta' here… now!"

And with that, Brandon Saturn's pathetic little gang unceremoniously raced out of the bistro after having caused a rather large commotion that had caught the attention and wonderment of every other patron in the restaurant, including Prince Randorm. While Brandon Saturn's exit had been unceremonious, Fujisawa's first words to Mikuru were fit for the most formal and fine of ceremonies.

"Those vile miscreants will bother you no more!" he began, standing up, and beginning to turn around to greet Mikuru, "No female student under my care will be allowed to be treated in such a degrading and shameful way… for if I allowed such mistreatment to occur, my very honor as a Sensei would be forever tarnished and stained. So… wash the tears from your eyes and know that you are now safe and secure from the unwanted grasps of _drop out delinquents_… for Masamichi Fujisawa is here!"

Mikuru beamed up at her rescuer with all the adoring, brilliance, respect, and shine of a cute girl handing her father an "I love you, dad!" drawing that she had made of him, while the glaring metaphorical sparkle coming off of Sensei Fujisawa's teeth would be enough to blind the bugrom into defeat.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed to him, "That was very courageous and kind of you."

"Mikuru!" shouted Itsuki excitedly at the sight of her, as he rushed towards her, "Kyon and I were very worried about you!"

"Itsuki!" replied Mikuru, about to go into tears again, albeit tears of _joy_ this time, turning about to greet him, "I-I'm so glad to see you again! W-w-where is everybody?"

"Kyon and I are here in town." responded Itsuki, "We'll meet up with Kyon shortly. Unfortunately, we haven't found Haruhi or Yuki yet."

While Mikuru was greatly inspirited, and felt such inexpressible relief in her formerly tight chest, Oliver Saturn was _very_ worried. He was, to his credit, worried about Mikuru as well, but with her clearly in good hands he rushed over to where Prince Randorm was seating to apologize profusely to him for the loud scene. Prince Randorm simply told him to not concern himself about the scene, while he walked over to meet Masamichi Fujisawa.

"That was a _fine_ display of gallantry and gentlemanly care, hero of Earth!" he stated to Masamichi Fujisawa, holding out his hand to shake hands with Fujisawa, "I'm relieved that you came to the lovely young waitresses aid, for I myself had felt compelled to take it upon myself to deliver upon those haughty hoodlums the thrashing that they deserved!"

"Think nothing of it!" responded Sensei Fujisawa in turn, gingerly shaking Prince Randorm's hand as we was more accustomed to greeting through mutual bows, "Sensei Fujisawa is always glad to be of service."

"Now, Oliver…" stated Randorm, turning to meet the Manager of the Boudicastra Bistro, "Again, please don't concern yourself over the commotion which, after all, ended _perfectly_ thanks to Fujisawa's heroics. However, in the future, try to take better care of your waitresses. While customer service is important, they shouldn't be allowed to be abused and molested like that."

"No problem, my Prince" responded Oliver, "I, too, feel thanks to Fujisawa for helping out Mikuru like that."

"You're _far_ too easy on these commoners, Randorm!" exclaimed Fatora, "To allow the dirty hands of some filthy inhumane ungrateful subject to _soil_ itself upon the most radiant and supple of feminine flesh is _inexcusable _and calls for_ harsh _penalty!"

"_**P-P-Princess Fatora of Roshtaria!!!**_" shouted a most alarmed Oliver Saturn, having not expected _this_ particular royal to be gracing his establishment this day, "I… I am _deeply_ sorry for not having shielded Mikuru better, your Highness!"

Fatora made no response to this apology however, as punishing displeasing commoners was a _secondary_ concern for her at the moment. Making a good first impression on Mikuru, while also meticulously s_educing_ the young waitress from Earth was her _foremost_ concern. How I wished I could have been there to stop her!

"_Now_, Mikuru…" began Fatora, as her hands began to gently and lovingly caress the arms and shoulders of the young newcomer to El Hazard, "I hope and trust that you will find my _infinitely_ more elegant and gradually enflaming touch to be flawlessly in accordance to your taste and pleasure!"

Alas, as Fatora allowed one hand to drift ever so tantalizingly over Mikuru's right breast, this would _not_ prove to be the case. Mikuru had endured all that she could of sexual touches this hour, and hence she began to bawl in great _dis_pleasure, and made a mad rush for the Bistro's exit! As _usual_ in my life of _confounding coincidences_, I found knocked over and aside by the racing Mikuru just as I was about to enter the Boudicastra Bistro along with Makoto and Nanami. Makoto and Nanami were crudely pushed backwards, with both landing upon their backsides, by the equally racing forms of Fatora and Alielle.

"After her!" commanded one of the Princesses of Roshtaria.

"Yeah!" added in Alielle, "Fatora and I have a whole night's worth of such _**~savory and satisfying pleasures~**_ planned out for us and that girl Mikuru!"

"G-get away from me!!!" screamed Mikuru as she tried to outrun her two speedy pursuers.

"_**M-Mikuru!**_" I shouted out in shocked realization of who it was that had barged by me, reaching my hand out in the direction that Mikuru was speedily running towards.

"Damn those two!" exclaimed Nanami, quickly rising to her feet, "Can't they control their libido even long enough for Mikuru to get reacquainted with her two friends?! We better get after them, Makoto!"

"Right!" he shouted, "Let's go, Kyon!"

Masamichi Fujisawa and Itsuki Koizumi started to follow behind us, while Koizumi took special care to not activate his esper powers out of fear that it may overly alarm any potential onlookers.

And with that, the race through the white rock streets of Canbia was on! Several roadside food stands and currency exchange stands were knocked over by either the rushing forms of Mikuru, Alielle, and Fatora, or by the collapse of some poor innocent victim getting landing him or her face first into messy tomatoes or smelly cheeses. Many curses from various people hence peppered the air like noisy fireworks during a major celebration. Fatora and Alielle shouted after Mikuru to slow down, but to no avail.

"Wow… what passion those three girls have" stated Nanoha Inverse, taking in the early stages of the race from a dark secluded alleyway from which the entrance to the Boudicastra Bistro could be spied, "This assignment is starting to get a bit more interesting! I'll keep my attention focused on Sensei Fujisawa, though!"

Mikuru covered much ground in her sprinting, as she desperately wanted to elude further unwanted molestation this day. She eventually came to a fork in the road, and chose to take the right path, leading to a bridge that exited the village itself out to a forest beyond. Still… increased logic and sensibility gradually took hold of Mikuru, as she began to realize that racing like this would ultimately be counterproductive for her. After all, she didn't want to lose Itsuki, and I, yet again. She hence began to stop focusing on her immediate surroundings as she gave increased though to what to do, which also resulted in her running pace slowing slightly. She started to seriously consider enduring Fatora and Alielle's clinging caresses for the sake or being reunited with Itsuki and I. But, alas, Mikuru began making these considerations too late.

For standing near the aforementioned bridge, and underneath the shading of a slopping rooftop, was a certain elite search and combat team that had been carefully combing the village of Canbia through cover of shadows and shades for about ten minutes now. One member of that team heard the rushing footsteps, and decided to investigate in spite of his boss's command to stand still. This member was the bugrom Groucho. Groucho hence turned and stood directly in Mikuru's way, causing her to crash violently into him, collapsing to the ground on her lower back and legs.

"Groucho… _**just what have you done now?!**_" exclaimed a highly indignant Katsuhiko Jinnai, having heard the sound of Mikuru's impacts, and hence moving out of the shading himself in order to see what Groucho had struck against.

Boss… we've found one! shouted a very pleased Groucho, It's the human girl called _Mikuru Asahina_, boss!

"Yes, you're right, Groucho, it _is_ her!" stated Jinnai, moving with _disorienting_ quickness from _outraged_ to _overjoyed_, as he recognized Mikuru's face from the pictures that Haruhi had showed him of her, "_Hhmmm~Mmmm_-**HA!**-Ha ha ha ha! I, the _stupendous SOS Man_ have already located one of the missing SOS Brigade members. _Already_ I live up to my new title – proving my limitless greatness once more!"

Mikuru, however, was less pleased by this impromptu meeting.

"B-big g-g-gross scary bug!" she squealed, "A-and strange looking man in s-scary mask with _really_ scary laugh! **Somebody help me!**"

"_Scary mask?!_" shouted a wary Jinnai, leaning slightly downwards and inwards towards were Mikuru was currently sitting, "**And what's wrong with my laugh, huh?!**"

Mikuru quickly picked herself up and began racing away, off into the nearby forest, away from SOS Man's elite search and combat unit.

"_**After her!**_" he shouted, thrusting an arm quickly outwards along with a pointing gesture in Mikuru's general direction.

Fatora and Alielle had caught _just_ enough of the scene to know where Mikuru was heading, and hence the forested land just outside of Canbia would soon be full of humans _and_ bugrom, _all_ after Mikuru! A second oxymoronic cliché started to occur to me; that being the one which states that the more things change the more they stay the same. And, indeed, this entire episode of chasing after Mikuru was just as hectic and wild as anything that Haruhi had put me through. There was at least _some_ small semblance of justice in this world of El Hazard, however, for Haruhi herself was not spared such tiring activity either.

Haruhi slowly and tiredly walked into a small change room that she had set up for herself; a change room adjoined to a make-shift gymnasium of sorts that Chico's chosen builders had already constructed in order to make more space for the _dodge ball_ games that the bugrom had quickly learned to love. Since the time of SOS Man's leaving earlier that same day, Haruhi had spent the better part of _several hours_ applying her 'special training' to various teams of bugrom in the finer points of dodge ball and hide and seek. For the sake of variety, she also introduced some of them to the game of _baseball_, which was done easily since bugrom hands were structured in such a way that they could easily catch a baseball with out needing to wear gloves. A baseball and bat had been crafted out of unused building materials for a few short baseball games.

"Man… I'm completely beat!" she cried in exhaustion, as she collapsed unto a stool in her change room, still in her gym shorts and shirt, "Training these bugrom is going to be _a lot of work_… even for me! Every joint simply _aches_, and I feel like I could fall asleep right here on this bench."

Haruhi hence pulled at a white towel she had with her, used it to dry the sweat off of her head and face, and then began to use it as a pillow of sorts to rest her head upon.

"I would advise against sleeping on something as rough as that bench, Miss Suzumiya" stated Diva, entering into Haruhi's dressing room from the other door, to check up on her, "It would not be good for your form and figure, after all, to rest on such unyielding material."

"So… I have to keep an exquisite form and figure all while training the bugrom for several hours a day? And this is what I'm sacrificing cool adventures for?" she asked, _startling_ herself by her own verbalization of how difficult her supposed dream role was turning out to be, "Being Bugrom Queen is a lot more daunting and demanding than I thought it would be…"

"It's gratifying to know that you appreciate the more strenuous aspects of being Bugrom Queen more than Mr. Jinnai ever did, Miss Suzumiya" stated Diva with a slight smile, "However the role of Bugrom Queen is not with out its rewards. For example, in my previous role as Bugrom Queen, I was given my own personal hot springs bathing area. Why not you and I spend some time relishing the cleansing and revitalizing percolations of that bath, Miss Suzumiya?"

"That sounds like a great idea, Diva!" exclaimed Haruhi with a wide smile, as such a soothing bath was exactly what she wanted to experience right now, "Let's go take a dip in your bath, then!"

While Haruhi would soon be soaking her knees in revitalizing hot springs water, I was up to _my_ knees in bushes, leaves, and thorns. Beyond that, this forest was a bona fide maze of winding paths, enclosing cutovers, thick virtual walls of bewildering alien plant life, and a mesmerizing myriad of paths. Eventually, Makoto, Nanami, and I all had to split up down separate paths, all of us in search of Mikuru, and with all of us agreeing to meet back where we had split up in half of an hour at most. We were also separated from all of Sensei Fujisawa's search team. The bugrom likewise split into two – one being Groucho and all of the ground based bugrom, and the other being SOS Man choosing to search alone for awhile.

After several frantic minutes of competitive searching, Groucho and his fellow bugrom were the first to find, and corner, Mikuru at an encapsulated forest enclosure at the end of the path she was running down.

"_**NNNOOOOO!!!**_" screamed a crying Mikuru at Groucho, as she began to lean away from him and heavily against the sides of the tree.

Mikuru… we're not going to hurt you! shouted Groucho, We're your friends here. Your friend Haruhi is my very Queen, Mikuru! She misses you and wants to see you! Please let me take you to her

Of course, Groucho's words here were pure vanity, as Mikuru didn't understand bugrom whatsoever. Hence, after a deep sigh, Groucho forcibly took hold of Mikuru's harms as gently as he could while ensuring that she would be caught. He hated taking her against her will, but he knew that Mikuru would forgive him for it once him and his best bud and boss Katsuhiko brought her back to Haruhi.

After a minute of running, Alielle and Fatora had caught up to where Mikuru was.

"_Aaaahhhh…!_" screamed Alielle, at the sudden stark realization of what she and Fatora had gotten themselves into, "**B-b-bugrom!**"

Look, Chico! shouted Gummo, It's Princess Fatora of Roshtaria! She's one of the two Princesses who almost destroyed our entire people! We _must_ have our vengeance upon her! Besides… the boss will reward us greatly for capturing the likes of her! **Get her!**

Gummo leapt into the air, cutting off any sort of retreat on the parts of Princess Fatora or Alielle. Chico then took hold of Fatora's hair, and hurled her _viciously_ to the ground, knocking her out cold! Alielle screeched in utter horror at the scene, while Mikuru tried in vain to squirm out of Groucho's tight hold.

"Unhand that girl!" shouted Masamichi Fujisawa in Groucho's direction, having caught up to this horrific scene.

Pick up Fatora and head over to Groucho! Chico shouted at Gummo, The rest of us will take care of Masamichi Fujisawa!

The bugrom were very fearless, as usual… but they were nonetheless badly outmatched by a largely sober and smoke-free Sensei Fujisawa.

With rapid movements of his hands, Sensei Fujisawa created a whiplashing wind affect of sorts, knocking both Chico and Zeppo aside with a mighty shout! Groucho and Gummo, holding Mikuru and Fatora respectively, began to grow increasingly fearful of what would be coming next. They had faced the _stalwart stunning strength_ of Sensei Fujisawa before – indeed, Fujisawa's might was _legendary_ amongst the bugrom, and was counted amongst their greatest fears! Only a few short moments lay between now and them suffering a _Masamichi mauling_, they were certain of.

Spying this scene from a high branch in a nearby tree, Shadow Tribe assassin Nanoha Inverse shared this suspicion, and was thoroughly enjoying the experience of seeing Masamichi Fujisawa in action. It represented extremely _exhilarating_ hands-on intelligence gathering for her. Lord Galus and Nahato lacked this hands-on touch, but they nonetheless were watching this scene unfold live before them as well, through a minute video camera attached to the scope of Nanoha's _Raging Heart_ sniper rifle.

"It looks like Katsuhiko Jinnai's forces will lose today" stated Nahato, as he watched over the scene of a handful of bugrom fight hard but against the tide of certain defeat, "**Ha!** So much for Haruhi Suzumiya's vaunted _SOS Man_. Of course, it's not _entirely_ his fault. He's commanding basically brainless bugs after all!"

"The bugrom are indeed _helpless_ with out Shadow Tribe aid…" responded Lord Galus, "Which is why we will be giving them help once more."

"Huh?" asked Nahato, startled by Galus' statement here, "But why?"

"I have already fabricated the perfectly designed entangling cloth that we will enrapt Haruhi Suzumiya within to force her to use her powers as _we_ would have her use them, Nahato… barring new intelligence from Yuki Nagato alerting me to the need to apply _different_ linens, of course" stated Galus, "The first _strand_ of this entangling cloth, however, is the success of _SOS Man_ in retrieving Mikuru for Haruhi Suzumiya. I trust you know what that will require, Nahato."

"Y-yes sir!" shouted Nahato, not having a clue what Galus' metaphorical 'entangling cloth' entailed, but nor being one to question his beloved Lord.

"**Nanoha!**" he shouted into the mouth of his headpiece, hence reaching into a receptor in Nanoha's ear, "_Fire_ on Sensei Fujisawa! Take him out! _**Now!**_"

"Yes, Master Nahato!" she shouted, before switching her Raging Heart to its highest spiritual laser fire setting, and aiming it directly at Fujisawa as he launched Zeppo high into the air with a Fujisawa Punch.

"_**Dragon… Brrrreeeakkkkeeeerrrrrrr!!!**_" she exclaimed, as she unleashed an immensely potent pulsating blast of condensed reddish-pink technomagical energy directly at Sensei Fujisawa.

"_**Aaaaaaarrrgggghhhh!!!!**_" he cried in pain, as he was struck down by it from behind!

With Groucho and Gummo being the only bugrom left standing, with Mikuru having finally _fainted_ in horror over the fight before her, and with Fatora already being unconscious, the two bugrom were enraptured by their incredibly fortune.

W-we won! exclaimed Gummo, We actually won!

Yes! responded Groucho, Now, let's get Fatora and Mikuru into the Blue Drop and Red Comet respectively, and retrieve the boss!

'The boss', for his part, was about to run into a despised arch-foe of his…

"Mikuru!" shouted Makoto Mizuhara, just as he entered into a uniquely spacious clearing deep inside the forest immediately outside of Canbia, "Where are you?! Please don't worry about Fatora and Alielle! We won't let them accost you any more!"

_SOS Man_ had made it to this clearing from an alternate path alongside a _very_ steep cliff a couple minutes ago. He was _stunned_ to see his most hated enemy a mere thirty feet directly in front of him – him and Makoto were temporarily all alone. Jinnai didn't know what to do here. As Haruhi had noted, his physical condition wasn't exactly in the best of shape. Furthermore, Jinnai was _decidedly_ unaccustomed to one-on-one fights and struggles. Still… he briefly recalled how the _last_ time he met Makoto in a one-on-one situation like this one was, he almost had a screaming in terror Makoto at his mercy. _That_ raised Jinnai's level of confidence a bit. Still… two physically normal humans with out either having much in the way of personal combat training, battling tooth and nail, was a gamble for _both_. Jinnai merely _sneered_ at Makoto, as he not sure if the gamble was worth it. What Makoto said to Jinnai made up Jinnai's mind for him, however…

"**Hey, you!**" exclaimed Makoto at him, before rushing up to him, "That's… quite the outfit that you're wearing. You look… a bit familiar to me. Have we met before?"

Katsuhiko Jinnai smirked very widely at this. In his new SOS Man disguise, Makoto actually did not fully recognize him! This was an opportunity that the ever opportunistic Jinnai would simply not let slide.

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know!" he balked in answer to Makoto, as he put _everything he had _into an _absolutely vicious_ right cross punch directly to Makoto's left eye.

Makoto screamed in pain from the blow, and recoiled instinctively; turning about ninety degrees and crouching upon one knee while covering his now black eye.

"_Here_, Ma_ko_**to**!" continued Jinnai in sneer, as he pulled three small items out of a special multi-compartment utility belt that he had made for himself given his awareness of the costume design that Haruhi had made for him, "Enjoy some **SOS bombs**!"

The **SOS bombs** were made by some uniquely skilled in engineering bugrom. Jinnai had some bugrom paint the SOS logo unto each of the grenade-sized smoke bombs – a rather fitting and explosive tribute to his new ally, you could say.

Jinnai shielded himself from the SOS bombs resulting gas through crouching down, and rising his cape up around him. Makoto, however, would endure the full effects of the gas, as they seeped into his eyes and lungs, leaving a very discomforting stinging sensation in his eyes, and also leaving him coughing, hacking, and wheezing loudly. Katsuhiko Jinnai began to laugh hauntingly and with rapturous rage over his good fortune here.

"As always, there is a cunning scheme behind Haruhi Suzumiya's madness!" exclaimed Katsuhiko Jinnai, "I have to admit that I wondered what in the blue blazes my new ally was thinking of in wanting me to dress in _this_ outlandish costume. But now I know the _pure evil genius_ behind it – with _this_ costume veiling my true identity from you, I've been able to take you totally by surprise, Mizuhara! I must appropriately thank her for how she's given me _the ultimate weapon_ to use in bringing about your demise! _Oh… _how I'm going to _enjoy_ tearing you from limb to limb with my own bare hands!"

"J-Jinnai!" managed an enraged Makoto starting to clear the smoke from his eyes, and begin to focus again, "It's always a bag of _cheap parlor tricks_ and _cowardly cheap attacks_ with _you_, isn't it, Jinnai?! You never could beat me in any fair contest, could you?"

Makoto had grown increasingly steely in his resolve since coming to El Hazard, with the serious violent struggle with Galus on the Eye of God itself now behind him. He was not afraid of Jinnai any longer, and hence his words reflected that. Still… those words were carefully chosen as part of Makoto's desperate ploy. He knew that he would have a very difficult time defeating Jinnai in one-on-one combat at _this_ juncture if he couldn't get Jinnai to fight fair, _or_ get under Jinnai's skin. His taunt towards Jinnai was designed to do both, but Makoto sensed that it would only give him the advantage of enraging Jinnai into doing something foolish. He never expected Jinnai to even entertain a fair contest. However… the psychological effects of wearing the garb of a super hero was beginning to showcase themselves in SOS Man. Hence, he actually did the _opposite_ of what Makoto expected – _not_ getting enraged; but letting Makoto take the next swing.

"Very well, Mizuhara!" exclaimed SOS Man, "I'll let _you_ take the next swing."

Makoto was desperate, and launched a fist directly at Jinnai's neck after readying himself to do so. SOS Man barely managed to dodge it. However, Makoto then kicked Jinnai _right in the groin_, and followed that up with a sweeping kick at Jinnai's legs, knocking Katsuhiko to the ground. Makoto then jumped on top of him trying to choke his adversary into unconsciousness! Makoto's low blow was not as effective as he had hoped however, as Jinnai's costume came with a protective cup designed into it. Hence, Jinnai was able to wrestle Makoto off of him, and knocked him backwards with a backhand slap to the face.

"_Now_ who's using cheap tricks, Makoto?!" snarled Jinnai in rhetorical question, "Well then…"

"Let me prove to you _the truth_ of my superiority over you!" exclaimed Jinnai, as he delivered a hard punch to Makoto's chest.

"And let me show you _the justice_ that I will rain upon you for using that low blow!" exclaimed Jinnai, as he landed an underhanded punch directly to Makoto's stomach, knocking the wind out of you.

"And let it be known, Makoto, that you will never impede _the_ _bugrom way_ again!" shouted Jinnai as he delivered an uppercut to Makoto, sending him reeling wildly towards the edge of the cliff just beyond the clearing that they were fighting in.

"**SOS **_**Kick!**_" Katsuhiko shouted as he struck Makoto's right side with the best roundhouse kick that he could muster up, sending Makoto even closer to the edge of that cliff.

Jinnai's words and actions were an _intoxicating blend_ of megalomaniacal villainy with heroic composure, tone, and reverence for concepts like _truth_ and _justice_. They represented the _third_ paradox that would be seen this day. The SOS Man persona given to Katsuhiko by Haruhi Suzumiya was proving to have a strangely large impact on him. Nevertheless, Katsuhiko began to maneuver Makoto in their struggle towards the edge of the very steep cliff that he had passed by earlier. Makoto could hear the loud, rushing waters getting closer to him, as Jinnai was successful in forcing Makoto back towards them. Makoto yelled loudly as he made one last plunge and swinging fist at Jinnai. The attack was clumsy, however, as Makoto had been badly battered and bruised from the fight. The attack also left Makoto's throat vulnerable, and Jinnai quickly took hold of it, tightly closing his right hand around it.

Jinnai was absolutely _flooded_ with adrenaline, and hence found the strength necessary to actually pick Makoto off the ground with just one hand tightly closed around Makoto's neck! He was now holding Makoto directly over the edge of the steep cliff, a good hundred feet above raging rapids and sharp rocks below.

"The only thing that I'm going to enjoy more than _killing_ you, Makoto…" sneered SOS Man, in great contempt of his arch-enemy, "Is seeing the look of delight on the new Bugrom Queen's face when I present your head to her on a silver platter! Bwa-ha-ha-Ha-Ah-Ha-**HAHA****HAHA**_**HAHA**_!!!"

**To Be Continued…!!!**


	7. Chapter 7

_Special note to all Haruhi-focused readers_: I apologize for not getting back to **The Father of Haruhi Suzumiya. **I may do so at a later date, but for now, I want to finish up putting _this_ lengthier story up on .

Also, as far as plot is concerned, this story is fully written, and will run 20 chapters; I intend to release a chapter per day if I see interest in it (in the way of chapter reviews, for example). Bugrom dialogue will now be put in thought bubbles ('') since this " " is not showing up on . Apologies for any confusion this caused.

**Chapter 7 – The Bugrom Empire of Haruhi Suzumiya**

It's difficult to describe what a _sixth sense_ is like to a person lacking it. It… registers a certain sensation within the brain; similar to perceiving a color, noticing a pleasant sound, drawing in a pungent scent, engulfing the taste of burnt-almond, or feeling a smooth texture. My sixth sense was much like each of these… but was also as different from each of these as each of these are from one another. This sixth sense is likewise unique unto itself. You could say that I perceived pieces of iron in ore the way that you see red color on a jacket. You might say that I noticed gold in mineral deposits the way that you hear an uplifting song above the more mundane sounds around you. This is an _imperfect_ analogy, but it is the best that I can do. However, not only did I sense metal, I seemed to be able to manipulate it through my thoughts alone the same way that you could draw in a smell while standing perfectly still. This was not the full extent of my newfound power, but this alone would prove enough on this day to save Makoto Mizuhara from Katsuhiko Jinnai.

"Get away from him, _**you maniac**_!" I screamed angrily at SOS Man, as I threw a hastily forged metallic alloy crowbar directly into the small of his back.

"_Aaaaaggghhhh…!!!_" cried SOS Man, as this was enough to both knock him over the edge of the steep cliff, as well as release Makoto from his grip.

Makoto would have plunged downwards over the edge of the cliff as well, however, if I had not used my magnetic powers to manipulate every piece of metal attached to his clothing, or that was part of that clothing, which I could sense. With that manipulation, I first held Makoto aloft, and then slowly and carefully maneuvered him back to secure ground near where I was currently standing. I did this by motioning my body and outstretched hand, and… _commanding_ my power outwards.

The crowbar that I struck Jinnai with was pieced together by quickly calling forth on every piece of metal that I could sense in the ground beneath me, as I had only found Jinnai at the start of his declaration to Makoto of delighting in Makoto's death. After calling forth that metal, hence resulting in dirt spraying _everywhere_ as though an underground explosive charge had just been set off, I _slammed_ the summoned metal together, projecting the image of a crowbar from my mind and unto concrete reality. I have to admit that I experienced a certain _rush_ in utilizing this _amazing_ power. I felt a certain degree of _pride_ in no longer being the only member of the SOS Brigade lacking special abilities or powers.

Katsuhiko Jinnai, for his part, began falling rapidly off the cliff while releasing a great shout of horror. While I had come to deeply resent Katsuhiko, I didn't want him to actually _die…_ but my focus was on saving Makoto, and since I yet lacked enough precise control over my magnetic powers to use them simultaneously on both Makoto and Katsuhiko, I decided to leave Katsuhiko's life in the hands of fate. Those hands, thankfully for SOS Man, would materialize as the outreaching hands of Groucho, standing upon the back of the rising Red Comet.

'Don't worry, boss!' exclaimed Groucho, as Jinnai fell into his arms 'I've gotcha!'

SOS Man, more infuriated over having his nearly successful attempt to terminate Makoto Mizuhara prevented than relieved by Groucho rescuing him, quickly rose out of Groucho's arms with seething rage to see who had foiled him when he had been _so very close_ to accomplishing one of his two main ambitions in El Hazard. He then looked upwards at where he had been previously standing, with his upper lip quivering in chafed anger. He saw me gazing contemptuously down at him, as I wanted to convey to him a sense of _complete disgust_ over his murderous intentions and eagerness to lead bloody wars. The eye contact that we made, even if shrouded somewhat by the golden helmet that he wore, was quite arresting and telling to us both. Katsuhiko, to his credit, was a fast thinker and, in the heat of a _violent_ moment, was in fact a good judge of what was beyond the abilities of him and his bugrom.

"_**Retreat!**_" he hollered, waving his hand in the direction directly opposite from where I was standing.

'But boss!' protested Groucho, having taken notice of who I was.

"We will discuss it later, Groucho!" he exclaimed, as the ever obedient Red Comet and Blue Drop had already begun to soar off in retreat, "We have to get out of here _now_!"

"You're not getting away _that_ easy, Jinnai!" I shouted, as I began to call upon more metal from the ground below, with the intention of adding it to the crowbar to construct for myself a metallic flying carpet of sorts.

I wanted to capture this _mad man_ to ensure that he could do no harm to any of my friends, _especially_ Haruhi, Mikuru, or Yuki. The supremely perceptive Itsuki Koizumi knew the vanity of my goal here, though, and hence promptly halted me from trying to achieve it.

"No, Kyon… _wait_!" he shouted, rushing up from behind me, and wrapping his two arms up under my armpits and then over my shoulders.

Koizumi had empowered himself into a glowing _esper_ form in order to hold me back, sensing it may be necessary to do so since a magnetic field of sorts had formed a special layer of energized protection around my body.

"But Koizumi…!" I began in protest, "We can't let that psychopath go!"

"Kyon…" began Koizumi in a calm response, trying to impart such calmness unto me as well, "It is commendable that you so quickly deduced that Makoto's costumed assailant is Katsuhiko Jinnai. However… did you notice what he was wearing? Did you see the symbol upon the back of his cape, Kyon? If so… _what does that tell you?_"

"…_My God…_" I stated as a harrowing suspicion regarding Haruhi's current location, status, and possible affiliations gradually settled in.

"Yes, Kyon" responded Koizumi knowingly, "It's bad… _very_ bad."

Similar stark realizations had already dawned upon Katsuhiko Jinnai, as him and his bugrom forces, along with the captured Mikuru Asahina and Princess Fatora of Roshtaria, swiftly made off in the direction towards the latest bugrom fortress.

'What are you doing, boss?!' exclaimed a questioning Groucho, finding himself oddly irate with his best bud, 'That was _Kyon_!'

"You don't think that I know that, Groucho?!" shouted Katsuhiko in raging rhetorical reply.

'Then why aren't you trying to retrieve him?!' exclaimed Groucho in quick follow up question, 'Kyon's one of the new Queen's missing SOS Brigade members which she _clearly_ instructed you to retrieve for her! I won't allow _even you _to disobey a direct order from the Bugrom Queen!'

"Groucho… _**it is not that simple**_!" shouted Katsuhiko Jinnai in turn, "Don't you see? Kyon attacked me and rescued Makoto! He's been _compromised_, Groucho!"

'Compromised?' asked a confused Groucho in turn

"Yes!" reiterated Jinnai, "That _damnable_ **Mizu**_**~hara**_ has already gotten to him! He has turned Kyon against me… and hence against the Bugrom Empire, by extension… and hence against _Haruhi Suzumiya_, by _further_ extension! It would _devastate_ Haruhi to learn of this dastardly development! As such, we will need to let Kyon go for now."

'But boss!' continued a pleading Groucho, 'While I get what you're saying, we can't just give up on the new Queen's mission! _It's just not right_ boss!'

"We're _not_ giving up on Kyon for good… _Ok?_" SOS Man began in more complete explanation to his top bugrom lieutenant, "But we're giving up on him _for now_. Once

Haruhi and I successfully conquer all of El Hazard, and have finished off Makoto once and for all, _then_ you and I will capture Kyon by stealth at night, and promptly begin _deprogramming_ him. With Kyon properly deprogrammed from Mizuhara's propaganda, we will then be able to present him with his mind _restored and whole_ to the new Bugrom Queen. It will only be then, Groucho, that Haruhi could be truly pleased to see Kyon again. As I said before, reuniting her with Kyon now would be _devastating_ to Haruhi… and besides, Kyon might even turn Haruhi against me, which would threaten to plunge the Bugrom Empire into civil unrest or even civil war! It would be _disastrous_, Groucho!"

After ruminating on Katsuhiko Jinnai's words for a few moments, Groucho eventually relented as he saw the logic and prudence to them.

'I… I guess that you're right boss' Groucho stated, 'This _totally blows_, though! As a bugrom, it really tears me apart to have to put off fulfilling Queen Haruhi's wishes!'

"Well…" began SOS Man in an attempt to sooth Groucho emotionally, and persuade him to look on the bright side, "This mission was still _far_ from a complete waste, Groucho. We _did_ retrieve Mikuru Asahina at least. And, perhaps best of all, we've captured Princess Fatora! Do you know what _that_ means, Groucho?!"

With that last question, Katsuhiko had leaned his face up close to Groucho's, with a smile spreading across it that would put _the cat that ate the canary_ to shame.

'You're not going to hold her for ransom again, are you?' asked Groucho in turn, 'You know how that ended _last_ time, boss!'

"_Of course_ I'm not going to engage in a failed maneuver _twice_, Groucho!" exclaimed SOS Man in answer, "A good military commander must _always_ adapt to changing intelligence, and the intelligence gained from _the last time_ we held Fatora is that the Roshtarians will _not_ give in to any ransom demands, but will rather attempt rescue missions to save hostages. So… _this time_, I will merely hold Fatora in a holding cell deep within the catacombs of our latest bugrom fortress, and I will keep Fatora's presence there unknown to all but this elite search and rescue team that is gathered here right now! Then, with Fatora removed from the field of battle… the Eye of God becomes inoperable! The Alliance will not be able to use it against us once more! Ha **Ha AhHAHA**_haha_**HA**_**HO**_**HA**~Ha ha ha ha ha _**HAA**__!!!!"_

Here was an example of an area within which Katsuhiko Jinnai was the diametric opposite of me. Whereas I would tend to see the proverbial glass as half empty, _he_ would always see it as half full. The smallest of victories was enough to allow Jinnai to experience elation, often in spite of a larger difficult circumstance, such as the one that he currently found himself in. Like Haruhi herself, Jinnai _thrived_ on most challenges and would engage in great risks in order to ambitiously grasp at even greater rewards. If imposing entangling vines stood between the pair of Haruhi and Jinnai and an item that they desired, they would both _with out hesitation _choose to try to plough through or maneuver around those vines to capture that item. In this sense, at least, the two made a more fitting pair than Haruhi and I ever did, I must admit. Of course, while Itsuki and I tended to Makoto's wounds, this had been the furthest thing from my mind. Furthermore, while Jinnai was currently elated, Masamichi Fujisawa was in aggrieved agony, starting to barely come to from Nanoha Inverse's recent attack.

"Sensei Fujisawa!" cried Alielle, now in tears, as she started to grind her hands on top of Sensei Fujisawa's back, "Please… you have to get up! _**~They got Fatora!~**_ We need to go save her!"

"_Uuugggghhhh…_" Sensei Fujisawa groaned, feeling as though this was the single worst hangover of his entire life.

The bugrom had chosen to leave Alielle behind, as she was of little emotional or strategic importance to either them or Haruhi Suzumiya or Katsuhiko Jinnai. However, Fatora was of _great_ emotional importance to Alielle, and hence while she was concerned for Fujisawa's current physical state, she couldn't stop herself from trying to force him back up, so that he could help her save her precious Princess. Nanoha Inverse, still in the same position as she had been in when she had fired her Dragon Breaker special blast attack on Fujisawa, found the scene interesting… and, in Fujisawa's case, impressive.

"His might and durability really _are_ as unreal as I had been told!" Nanoha exclaimed, "To survive my Dragon Breaker with out being able to brace for it whatsoever is _quite_ the feat. Still… Lord Galus and Master Nahato likely intended for me to kill Masamichi Fujisawa. Hence, while it's such a shame to send such a _marvelous_ man like this to an early grave, I have little choice but to do so with one of my anesthetic poison darts!"

Nanoha adjusted the settings on her Raging Heart to _solid projectile_, and then placed one such needle point anesthetic poison dart into the shaft of her gun. She then took aim at Masamichi, fully intending to kill him with this strike!

"_**What are you trying to do to my husband?!**_" asked a deeply concerned and provoked Miz Mishtal, riding high atop of an upward rushing fountain of water, coming face to face with Masamichi's would be assassin!

Nanoha _instantly_ recognized the face of the Water Priestess of Mount Muldoon who had killed a previous and illustrious Shadow Tribe Assassin. Hence, Nanoha immediately slid over the side of the branch that she was currently on, and began descending downwards with skillful pounces from branch to branch avoiding icy and sharp blasts of partly solidified water heading her way! In the heat of the moment, Miz Mishtal was wavering between pursuing this Shadow Tribe assassin who actually had the _unmitigated gall_ to try to kill _her_ Masamichi… or simply chasing her off before immediately attending to her fallen fiancé. Alielle's words helped persuade her to do the latter.

"_**Miz!**_" shouted Alielle, having taken notice of the Water Priestess' presence, "Please help me here! We need to get Sensei Fujisawa back up and well again!"

With Nanoha Inverse now in full withdrawal and proving to be a most difficult opponent to strike down, Miz turned about and fell to Masamichi's side, grasping his head gently within her hands.

"Are you Ok, my love?" she asked as sweetly as she could, "Is there anything that I can do for you?"

"Miz… is that you, Miz?" asked Sensei Fujisawa in turn, as his vision started to clear, and he looked up to see the sad yet caring face of his soon to be wife.

"Yes, it's me!" she shouted in answer, "I'm here for you, Masamichi. Please let me do whatever I can to help you after all the times that you've saved me!"

"C-Can you get us over to wherever Makoto and the others are?" asked Masamichi weakly, "W-we need to regroup and get after the bugrom!"

"**Yes!**" shouted Alielle, pumping a fist, "_Right on, _Sensei Fujisawa! I knew that I could count on you!"

"**No!**" exclaimed Miz in turn, however, "Masamichi is in no shape to engage the bugrom in combat! Still… meeting up with Makoto and the others _is_ a good idea. I'll place the three of us within a restorative air bubble within a ten foot tall steady stream of water. That stream will then carry us to wherever Makoto is!"

While Miz Mishtal had summoned forth _restorative air bubbles_ and _steady streams of water_, it was actually a figurative tornado of turbulent troubles that currently surrounded most of the divergent and opposing parties of prominence here in El Hazard. The cause of that tornado was also fittingly its eye, for within _the eye_ of a tornado is ironically found relative peace and stability. Hence this served as a most appropriate metaphor for Haruhi Suzumiya, a catalyst of chaos who regardless was currently enjoying a shared bath with Diva.

"_Aaaaahhhhh…!_" stated Haruhi, feeling an almost orgasmic release from immersing herself up to her neck in the hot springs bath reserved for the Queen of the Bugrom Empire, "This is _soooo_ rejuvenating, Diva! It is _precisely_ what I needed right now."

"I am glad that it meets with your approval, Miss Suzumiya" stated Diva, "Since it _does_ meet with your approval, it can serve two purposes. First, it will aid and comfort you as you settle into your new role as Queen of the Bugrom Empire… and secondly, it will provide us with the ideal setting within which for us to discuss matters of great importance concerning your future in that new role."

"Oh?" asked Haruhi, "What do you mean by that?"

"There are a few matters that I believe I need to clarify with you" responded Diva, "First of all, Miss Suzumiya, I think that I need to expound upon the distinction between Mr. Jinnai's role, and yours. This is essential as the smooth functionality of the Bugrom Empire requires the Bugrom Queen and the Supreme Commander to work in perfect accord and harmony with one another."

"Very well, Diva" stated Haruhi, getting the core substance behind Diva's words here, while also taking her new role as Bugrom Queen increasingly seriously, "How do the two roles relate to one another?"

"_The Bugrom Queen_ charts the course of the bugrom people – it is up to her to decide what will be the aims and aspirations of the bugrom" began Queen Diva in answer, "Hence, the Bugrom Queen must be a visionary, focused more on broad strokes and generalized goals than on the intricate details thereof. _The Supreme Commander_, once given these generalized goals to work with, then determines the best _means_ by which to achieve them. As he attempts to achieve those goals, it is important for the Bugrom Queen to place full faith in him, and to not overly question his methods or even attempt to direct them."

"I see…" replied Haruhi, becoming very contemplative over Diva's words, "So, then, to put it in a nutshell: I, as Bugrom Queen, would decide what the ultimate mission of the Bugrom Empire would be, while Katsuhiko in his Supreme Commander role would complete that mission as he sees fit? I determine _the ends_, and he determines _the means…_ is that pretty much it?"

"Precisely, Miss Suzumiya…" answered Diva with a serene smile, "It please me greatly to see you so quickly grasp the distinction between the Bugrom Queen and the Supreme Commander, and the relationship between the two. There is one other more specific matter that we need to discuss, however."

"Ok" stated Haruhi, finding Diva's words inherently mysterious and hence becoming a bit of a detective when encountering them, "What is it, Diva?"

"Haruhi…" began Diva softly, and while actually using Haruhi's first name to accentuate the importance of the following words, "You _must_ come to take a firm grip of the fact that the Bugrom Empire is now under your _unquestioned_ rule. Your guidance, particularly in the Supreme Commander's absence, will ever be sought after by the bugrom people. Furthermore, you are _**not**_ required to lead them with the same goals as I have. I can not stress that enough. It is crucial for you to make your own distinguishing mark upon the Bugrom Empire. It is… possible… that _my_ chosen goals for the Bugrom Empire were not the right ones. From what I have gathered from your words… there is a substantial likelihood that _your_ chosen goals may actually reflect the prophesized promised land of domination, glory, and plenty more than mine did."

Diva's words here were like a most charming yet burdensome puzzle – a _rhetorical rubix cube_ that Haruhi would need to play with, and twist about, until only one revealing color remained. Haruhi was talented at such puzzles, however, and thus after a minute of reflection, she had solved it.

"I guess what you mean by that…" Haruhi responded, rubbing her chin, "Is that my idea of… making the entire Bugrom Empire a part of my SOS Brigade… is a _good_ idea? An idea which, if acted upon, would… meet the specifications of the bugrom prophecies?"

"You are a very quick learner, Miss Suzumiya." Diva answered with another smile of serenity, "More to the point, however… perhaps the Bugrom Empire and the SOS Brigade should become _one and the same_! Two distinctive titles for the same united whole! In addition, perhaps you should command the Bugrom Empire the exact same way that you commanded your SOS Brigade from Earth before you arrived in El Hazard!"

"Yes, Diva…" replied Haruhi, her eyes lighting up, and her mouth making an eclectic smile, "I get _exactly_ what you're saying! Those are great ideas! …I really hope that Katsuhiko agrees, though."

"As I said before, Miss Suzumiya…" stated Queen Diva in a slightly lecturing but also playful tone, "It is the role of the Bugrom Queen, and _not_ the Supreme Commander, to determine the ultimate mission of the Bugrom Empire… of _your_ SOS Brigade! Once given that ultimate mission, the Supreme Commander _must_ adhere to it!"

"He he he…" chuckled Haruhi, knowing what this meant, "**Right!**"

The Supreme Commander was predictably not being the most loyal of subjects at this hour, however. He had already determined that news of the capture of Fatora was _not_ to be passed on to Haruhi. The bugrom in his elite search and combat party agreed to this as it was no different than how Katsuhiko had handled his _last_ capture of Fatora – choosing not to inform Bugrom Queen Diva of _that_ event either.

By Katsuhiko's rationale, if Haruhi was to learn of Fatora's capture, she may deign to speak with Fatora. If so, and if Fatora had already met _me_, which she had of course, then Haruhi may get a better idea of _my_ whereabouts from Fatora, and Katsuhiko Jinnai wanted to stave off Haruhi being reunited with me until all of his other goals had first been accomplished. Indeed, Katsuhiko was plotting for a way to persuade Haruhi to temporarily suspend the quick completion of her SOS Brigade search and retrieve mission, and to move ahead instead with the conquest of El Hazard nations as soon as possible. In addition to all of this, he needed to find out what Mikuru knew, and _to keep her silent_ on certain key points if necessary.

As Mikuru came too, she noticed that she was flying through the air, while sitting on a humongous flying bug-like entity, surrounded by smaller bug-like entities that were nonetheless significantly larger than her. Needless to say, this was rather terrorizing for her. Mikuru's head spun about wildly, and her body began to quake in fear, as she began to bawl.

"_M-m-more big g-giant gross bugs!!!_" she screamed, while on her knees, "W-where am I?! Where are you taking me?! **Somebody help me!**"

"Will you quit it already?!" exclaimed SOS Man at her, as he rushed over to her, as her wild screaming was _far_ more than he could ignore, "Aren't you supposed to be a SOS Brigade member?! _**Is this actually how SOS Brigade members behave?!**_"

Katsuhiko Jinnai was _absolutely astonished_ that the _same_ SOS Brigade that was lead by the firm and feisty Haruhi Suzumiya could have someone like Mikuru Asahina in its membership.

"W-w-who told you about the SOS Brigade?" asked Mikuru nervously, but with sincere curiosity, as she looked up at SOS Man.

"Our _mutual friend_ **Haruhi Suzumiya** did" answered Katsuhiko Jinnai coolly, "_She_ is who I'm taking you to. So… for _all_ of our sake's… calm yourself already! Nobody here is going to hurt you. In fact… everybody here is an ally or subject of your friend, Haruhi."

"R-really?" asked Mikuru, needing further reassurance.

"Yes. _Really._" answered Jinnai, "Now then… I have a question for you."

"O-Ok" responded Mikuru, ever so slightly starting to calm herself, "What do you want to know?"

"Have you run across any of your fellow SOS Brigade members yet?" asked Jinnai.

"Uummm…" began Mikuru, as she began to think on the question, "Oh… yeah, I did! I met up with Itsuki Koizumi just a few minutes before I fainted, and back at the Boudicastra Bistro!"

"I see…" replied SOS Man, taking mental note of this important information, "Can you recall if anybody else that you know was with him?"

"Uummm…" began Mikuru, as she began to focus more intensely on this recent memory, "Oh, yeah! He was along with a really nice heroic man named Masamichi Fujisawa! And… he also told me that Kyon was in the same town as we were in at the time!"

"Lovely… _just_ _lovely_" replied Katsuhiko with extreme sarcasm, and after releasing a sigh, and bringing a palm to his face and over his mask, "Did you also meet a Makoto Mizuhara as well?"

"…No, I don't think that I did" answered Mikuru.

"Well…" began Katsuhiko in slightly smiling reply, making a sigh of _relief_ this time, "You haven't been _completely_ compromised then. _Good._ Mikuru… I need you to refrain from telling Haruhi anything concerning Itsuki Koizumi, or Kyon … or Masamichi Fujisawa for that matter."

"W-w-why's that?" asked Mikuru nervously, and while leaning back away from SOS Man, finding this to be a very odd and worrisome request for him to make of her.

"Itsuki Koizumi and Kyon are not… of perfectly sound mind right now, you could say" began SOS Man in answer, "Until I'm able to… _cure_ them of their psychological malady, it would be best to not let Haruhi know anything about them. I fear, Mikuru, that… it would _break Haruhi's heart_ to find out that Kyon and Koizumi are having mental issues, and hence I want to keep any knowledge about them secret from her until after they're in a better frame of mind."

Mikuru found this explanation a bit hard to swallow… but she also detected a sincere sweetness in Jinnai's words. She could tell that this strange man genuinely cared about Haruhi. Hence, she chose to trust him, as hard as she found it to believe that Itsuki and I were 'having mental issues' as Jinnai put it.

"O-Ok, mister" she stated, "I'll keep my lips sealed about Kyon and Itsuki until later. It's really nice and sweet of you to care about Miss Suzumiya like this, mister. Can I have your name please?"

"Katsuhiko Jinnai" he answered, with a grin, "You can also call me _SOS Man_ if you wish. Thank you for being so… agreeable, Mikuru."

"No problem, K-Katsuhiko!" she shouted cheerfully.

Katsuhiko then turned away from her after leaving her with a pleasant smile. He felt like a great weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. Almost all of the loose ends were now tied up. He would return somewhat triumphantly to Queen Suzumiya, as he had Mikuru in tow for her. It was now simply a matter of Mikuru and the bugrom keeping to their words to him, and persuading Haruhi to commence _annexation operations_ of Alliance nations immediately. While Katsuhiko was relieved, though, Groucho was rather perplexed.

'Boss…' he said in whisper to Katsuhiko, leaning his head in close to Katsuhiko's ears, 'You told _the truth_ to Mikuru. I mean… it's _your version_ of the truth, but it really is how you see things, isn't it?'

"Yes… your point, Groucho?" asked SOS Man in turn, raising an eyebrow over this question.

'Well… it's just that it would have been a lot easier to simply tell her a convenient lie, boss' answered Groucho, 'I mean… it was clear that you were _really straining_ to find the perfect way to tell the truth to Mikuru while still getting her to go along with your desire to keep Haruhi from knowing about Kyon and Itsuki'

"Well, I _am_ the champion of _truth, justice, and the bugrom way_, aren't I?" asked SOS Man in turn, smilingly with a sort of stoic pride.

'Boss… **you've changed!**' continued Groucho, becoming a bit alarmed here, 'One of the very first things you told us bugrom a long time ago was that we valued the concept of _truth_ too much! Don't you remember?'

"_Groucho…_" stated Jinnai in a brusque manner, as Groucho's line of questioning was starting to irritate him, "Haruhi clearly values _truth_ or she would not have named me the champion of it, as well as of justice and the bugrom way… and if _Haruhi_ values truth then it _has_ to have at least _some_ real value to it. _Ok?_"

That answer was satisfactory for Groucho. It explained reasonably well Katsuhiko's changing approach to _truth_ versus _lies_. It made Groucho take notice of something else, however.

'Boss… you _really like_ Haruhi, don't you?' he asked rhetorically, 'And I don't mean in a purely sterile _ally_ sort of way, either.'

"_**Stop pestering me, Groucho!**_" exclaimed Jinnai in anger, thrusting an arm up into the air to signal his displeasure to Groucho, "I have _serious_ matters that I need to think over here. First of all, we're going to need to find a place to camp out for the night, since we won't reach the bugrom fortress before pitch black nightfall. You and I can talk about these more _frivolous_ concerns later."

And that would end the conversation between SOS Man and Groucho for the night. Meanwhile, Makoto was having his bruises and discolorations resulting from battle with that same SOS Man attended to by Itsuki Koizumi. Interestingly, Koizumi's esper power included a mild metaphysical healing ability. I was not sure if this was an added bonus to his power given to him by travelling from Earth to El Hazard, or if this was an ability he always had, but simply never had need to make use of while inside of a closed space back on Earth. Nevertheless, it did wonders for Makoto. While his body was starting to become unimpaired again, his mind was in disarray. He eventually made this known to us through some painfully poignant questions and observations.

"What… what was Jinnai getting on about?!" he asked aloud, as he passively sat for Itsuki to heal him, "He even mentioned your friend Haruhi! I… couldn't make out _everything_ that Katsuhiko was saying, given how I was swamped with that _awful_ gas, but I believe that Katsuhiko even called her _a cunning schemer_ or something like that!"

Koizumi made a knowing glance my way, as I could only sigh deeply over what all of this might portend. As I sighed, however, Miz Mishtal arrived along with a badly beaten Masamichi Fujisawa in her arms and a clearly very distraught Alielle by their side.

"Sensei Fujisawa!" I exclaimed at the sight of him, "_He's_ been injured as well!"

"Yes" answered Miz Mishtal, "He was somehow struck down by a powerful blast from a female assassin of some sort. Thankfully, I was able to stop her from doing any more harm to my dear Masamichi…"

"But the Bugrom took Mikuru _**~and Fatora!~"**_ cried Alielle, "We have to go save them! We have to hurry before they're too far away for us to catch up to them!"

"Look, Alielle…" began a disagreeing Miz Mishtal in reply, "Rescuing a Princess of Roshtaria from the bugrom _is_ very important, and so is retrieving the friend of Itsuki and Kyon… but we have two people seriously hurt and wounded here! I know how much you deeply care for and love Fatora… but we need to rest the night here in Canbia in order for Masamichi and Makoto to recover. We can head out to try to save Mikuru and Fatora first thing tomorrow… Ok?"

"**F-fine!**" exclaimed a somewhat pouty but sincerely concerned and hurt Alielle, "My _poor precious Princess Fatora_…"

"Don't worry, Alielle" I stated to her in a tone that I hoped would exude confidence, "We _will_ rescue Fatora for you. You can count on it."

Koizumi made a nervous look towards me, as though I had said the wrong thing. Alielle, however, thanked me for my words.

"Everyone..." stated Koizumi, as he raised his voice slightly, "I need to talk to Kyon for a bit… _privately_. It concerns Mikuru. Is that Ok with everyone?"

"Sure, go ahead, Itsuki" answered Miz Mishtal, "I have everything under control here. Besides, it might be good to have Alielle go find Nanami for us."

Itsuki's words here took me a bit by surprise, but given that there were no objections to his request, I followed him down one path about thirty meters away from Makoto and the others so that we could talk in a more private setting. At the same time, Alielle went down a separate path to search for Nanami while Miz Mishtal used her Priestess powers to apply some final healing touches of cleansing water to the wounds and sores of Makoto and Fujisawa.

"Kyon…" Koizumi whispered to me, "I'm afraid that a standard rescue operation to retrieve Fatora is out of the question."

"_**What?!**_" I exclaimed in loud question, shocked to hear Koizumi make such a seemingly preposterous declaration, unfortunately drawing the temporary attention of Miz Mishtal.

"Kyon… quiet down!" Koizumi continued to me in loud whisper, "We don't want to alarm our most gracious hosts and new friends here, Kyon."

"But Koizumi…" I began in complete confusion, but in a quieter tone out of respect for Itsuki's request, "Why shouldn't we retrieve Fatora?"

"I never said that we shouldn't retrieve Fatora" he clarified, "I said that a _standard_ rescue operation is out of the question."

This caused me to raise an eyebrow. As usual, Koizumi was being more than a bit abstruse.

"Kyon let me more fully explain…" Koizumi continued.

"Ok…" I responded, "Go ahead."

"You and I both noticed the costume that Katsuhiko Jinnai was wearing" stated Koizumi, "You and I also both saw the SOS Brigade symbol displayed prominently on his cape. Furthermore, Makoto reported that Katsuhiko Jinnai made a _complimentary_ comment concerning Miss Suzumiya. What… safe assumptions can we make from all of this?"

"…They've probably met already, and have even become _friends_ to some degree." I answered, feeling like regurgitating afterwards due to the bitter taste that it left in my mouth.

"No, Kyon, it's _more_ than just that" stated Koizumi.

"Huh?" I asked, taken aback a bit by Koizumi's statement here, "What do you mean?"

"Kyon… it's safe to say that Katsuhiko Jinnai has come to _respect_ Haruhi a great deal. There's no other way he would be willing to wear her SOS Brigade symbol, displayed on such a flashy costume that certainly doesn't seem to suit his personality from what _we_ know of him. Him calling Haruhi a cunning schemer _further_ confirms this. But what's most important, of course, is what Haruhi now feels _for_ _him_."

"I have a feeling that I'm not going to like where this is all leading…" I said in a dispirited tone.

"No, you probably won't", admitted Koizumi in reply to me, "But it needs to be said regardless. Koizumi… how many people have you known Haruhi to _admire_ in her life? Not simply be friends with, but outright _admire_?"

"Off the top of my head… probably _none_, Koizumi" I answered, "You'd have to be an alien, time traveler, esper, or slider in order for her to actually _admire_ you. Well, _that…_ and she'd also have to _know_ about it of course."

"But what if you were a human that could talk to aliens?" asked Koizumi, "What if you were a human that even lead an _army_ of aliens – what if you were a human that was a hero to _countless_ aliens? What do you think Haruhi would think of such a man?"

"She'd probably think he was the coolest guy ever." I admitted in a cynical chuckle, before yet another highly discomforting realization dawned on me, "Oh, wait… _**no!!!**_"

"_Yes_, Kyon…" Koizumi corrected me, "For good or for ill, Haruhi Suzumiya has likely come to view Katsuhiko Jinnai as a _hero_; as 'the coolest guy ever', as you put it. Designing an outfit like an Americanized super hero's for him, and even placing her SOS Brigade symbol on it… that's _a clear sign_ of her wanting to contribute to the awesome life of _her_ hero. Now… what would happen if she was to find out that _her hero_ was really a _petty vindictive warlord_ responsible for incredibly evil deeds against innocent people? What if she saw him disgracefully defeated by us successfully completing a standard rescue operation to his detriment? How do _most_ people respond, Kyon, when they see their _one and only hero_ fail and falter and be shown to have feet made of fraudulent clay?"

"She would be _emotionally wrecked…_ **thoroughly** wrecked on an emotional level." I answered.

"_Correct_, Kyon" Itsuki stated, "El Hazard would be _suffocated_ in closed spaces if that was to happen. That is why _we can't let it happen_, Kyon!"

It now was crystal clear to me that Koizumi and I were caught between an El Hazard wrecked by Haruhi Suzumiya's closed spaces… or an El Hazard potentially further wrecked by Katsuhiko Jinnai's warfare.

"Koizumi… **what are we going to do?!**" I asked in exasperated desperation to him.

"There is only one option available to us that can save Fatora, keep El Hazard safe, and _also_ maintain Haruhi Suzumiya's emotional stability" answered Koizumi, "You and I – _just_ you and I – have to head off to where Mikuru ends up, find Jinnai and Miss Suzumiya there… and negotiate with them."

"_Negotiate with them?_" I repeated in question, stunned by the very notion.

"It will be… very tricky… but it's our only hope" answered Itsuki, "We have to let Haruhi _gently_ in on some of the wrongdoings of Jinnai – not enough to destroy her image of him completely, but enough to get her to try to persuade him to choose a more peaceful path in life. _Then_ we have to hope that Jinnai respects Haruhi enough to go along with her recommendation… which would ultimately include voluntarily releasing Fatora. If this all happens – if we can _reform_ Katsuhiko Jinnai – then all will be well."

"Itsuki… the odds against your plan succeeding is simply staggering!" I exclaimed in response, "Besides… how do you intend to have just the two of us head off after Mikuru and Fatora? Makoto and the others will _rightly_ want to save them as well!"

"While the odds against us are steep… it _still_ remains the only option with any chance of avoiding one highly undesirable outcome _or_ another!" Koizumi stated in forceful response, "But… you are right about the need to persuade Makoto and the others to take actions that will flow nicely with this plan. To get this plan in motion, we will need to convince Makoto and his friends to allow us to split up into two _different_ search teams than the ones he initially selected. We'll have to convince him to have him, Nanami, Alielle, Masamichi, and possibly Miz Mishtal as well, all head for the spacial anomaly that _Yuki_ must have come out of. Hopefully they'll find her there. _Meanwhile_, you and I will head to _the other_ spacial anomaly – the one that the psychic beacon that I attached to Mikuru will lead us to, and where Haruhi will be along with Katsuhiko Jinnai. We will justify this to Makoto and the others by saying that by splitting up to head after the two remaining anomalies that we increase our chances of _quickly_ recovering Fatora and Mikuru – we will further justify the different team formation on the basis that the previous ones didn't exactly help us much today."

After taking a good solid minute or two to fully absorb Itsuki's insanely idealistic ideas, I made my full feelings to him known on it.

"It's an _awful_ gamble, Koizumi…" I said in a stern tone of voice, "It's _very_ complex and multifaceted, and it will require _a lot_ of work and powerful precise persuasion! And… reforming Katsuhiko Jinnai… that _alone_ is going to be a _very_ tough nut to crack…"

"I know…" capitulated Koizumi, "But all of the alternatives are _even worse_, Kyon. Please… support me here. It's the only option that can lead us down a path away from destruction or despair, Kyon!"

Koizumi's plan was so idealistic that it seemed more insane than Katsuhiko Jinnai himself was to me. Nonetheless… there was some logic to Koizumi's words, and… I have to admit that his perfect solution held some appeal to me, as cynical as I was of it succeeding.

"Ok, Itsuki…" I stated, "I'll go ahead with your plan. But if it fails… we _will_ be taking Jinnai down, and we _will_ be rescuing Fatora!"

"Agreed" responded Koizumi, forcing a cheerful tone and smile upon me.

Someone at this hour didn't need to force cheerfulness or smiles however.

"_**Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!**_" laughed Nahato of the Shadow Tribe uproariously.

"I take it from your response, Master Nahato…" began a slyly smiling Nanoha Inverse in question, speaking into the communicator that Nahato had provided her with, "That you got all of that?"

Nanoha Inverse had managed to sneak back up on us after her previous retreat. However, upon catching just a few syllables of the whispered conversation between Koizumi and I she decided to eavesdrop on us instead of make another assassination attempt of Sensei Fujisawa.

"Those idealistic Earthling fools!" exclaimed Nahato with a greatly amused smile, "They're plan is doomed to failure – **doomed! **It's going to be such _a joy _to see it fail abysmally!"

"Your penchant for underestimating people is becoming troublesome, Nahato" stated Lord Galus.

"L-Lord Galus!" exclaimed Nahato in complete shock, "You can't be serious here!"

"I am quite serious, Nahato" responded Galus, "Kyon is right – it is an awful gamble that Itsuki Koizumi is attempting. But I can tell from listening attentively to Koizumi's tone of voice and careful deliberations that he has the heart and soul of a _superb_ diplomat. As such, his plan does have a _small_ chance of success… a chance that represents a _risk_ to **my** plans – a risk that I refuse to take!"

"I… see what you're saying, my Lord" stated Nahato, "Please forgive my earlier impertinence, sire."

"Just please be less impulsive in the future, Nahato" responded Lord Galus, "Now then… have Nanoha closely monitor the Kyon and Koizumi contingent, and put aside Sensei Fujisawa for now. Should Kyon and Koizumi manage to persuade Makoto and the others to go along with their plan, then I want you to send Nanoha after Kyon and Koizumi. Furthermore, if Kyon and Koizumi get _that_ far in their plans…"

"Yes, my lord?" asked Nahato, after Lord Galus paused for a few seconds to give careful deliberation to this final part of his plot to stop Itsuki and I.

"… if Kyon and Koizumi get _that_ far in their plans…" continued Lord Galus, "Have _Yuki Nagato_ intercept them on their way to the latest bugrom fortress. Once that interception has been made, have Nanoha Inverse attack Kyon and Koizumi as well."

"My lord!" shouted Nahato, shocked by this risky proposition, "That counter measure, albeit a bold one, is almost as risky as Itsuki Koizumi's plan! What if Yuki Nagato recognizes her fellow SOS Brigade members?!"

"_That_ is a risk that I _am_ willing to take, Nahato" answered Lord Galus, with a devious grin, "And besides… it is high time that we fully tested the memory of Yuki Nagato. You have my orders, Nahato – I entrust you to fulfill them for me."

"Y-yes, Lord Galus!" he responded in shout, both impressed by his lord's bold maneuvers but also concerned that they were overly fraught with hazards.

Nonetheless, Itsuki and I may soon find ourselves in violent combat against Yuki Nagato…

**To be continued…**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – The Fourth Night of Haruhi Suzumiya

Makoto, Nanami, Sensei Fujisawa, Alielle, Itsuki and I would spend a second night at the largest inn of Canbia, Durosland, with Miz Mishtal taking Fatora's place this night in the seven bed accommodation. Before drifting off into a most welcomed sleep that second night in Canbia, it would be discovered that Nanami had earlier become stuck between the limbs of several different trees, requiring Alielle to use her slicing skills to cut Nanami out of her entanglement. Nanami, upon hearing the nearby sounds of combat and taunts between Makoto and Jinnai, had attempted a rash rush through the wall of trees that stood between her and the bitter battling enemies. She did this since she knew that walking back over the winding path that she had went down, and then up the path that Makoto had went on, would require the covering of much more ground than a straight line charge through heavy forestation would… and time _was_ of the essence, in fairness to her. Upon finding Makoto largely healed by the collective efforts of Itsuki, Miz Mishtal, and myself, Nanami was greatly relieved that her getting stuck in the trees had not been enough to allow her hated brother to kill Makoto, or severely main him.

Still, while Nanami had been relieved by that, she, like the rest of us, was worried about Fatora and Mikuru, leading to a largely restless night for all of us. Itsuki and I at least had the peace of mind of knowing that Mikuru was likely safe – it was a safe assumption for the two of us to make that Jinnai's bugrom had captured her for Haruhi's benefit after all. However, the others fully expected Katsuhiko to issue outrageous ransom demands for both Fatora and Mikuru. Well… all fully expected this except Nanami, for Nanami had _darker_ suspicions.

Nanami, Makoto, and Sensei Fujisawa had all found SOS Man's words concerning Haurhi quite puzzling and troubling. Itsuki had attempted to reassure them that there's no way _our_ Haruhi Suzumiya would knowingly align herself with a petty vindictive warlord like Katsuhiko Jinnai, and that furthermore, the possibility existed that "Haruhi" was simply the name that Jinnai had given to one of his new bugrom soldiers – the new bugrom soldiers that Miz had told us about. Haruhi was, after all, not an entirely uncommon Japanese name. Makoto and Sensei Fujisawa, not wanting to cast unwanted dispersions on either of us, chose to accept this explanation, albeit with slight unease. Nanami was more skeptical, finding our explanation to be overly coincidental and convenient. Nonetheless, for the sake of group harmony, and in the hopes that Itsuki was telling the truth, she made only slight protestation against our tall tale.

Katsuhiko Jinnai, Mikuru Asahina, and the bugrom, made a humble encampment for the night. Before sleeping in their tents, this group enjoyed a short cook out that reminded Jinnai of his very first night on El Hazard many moons ago. Jinnai was largely jovial during this night of pleasant reminiscence, and that caused Mikuru to continue to look upon him in a positive light. Jinnai had taken special care to keep Fatora firmly tied up and gagged out of eyeshot or earshot from Mikuru for the duration of the return trip to the latest bugrom fortress.

The first prominent place of note within El Hazard to have visitors on the morning of the SOS Brigade's fourth day in El Hazard would not be the latest bugrom fortress, however, but the royal palace in Florestica.

"Dr. Schtalubaugh…" stated Princess Rune Venus, as she gracefully entered his abode on this bright early morning to confer with him, "Having finally liberated myself from more daunting royal duties, I wanted to ask you about the spacial anomalies that you discovered a few days ago. Have there been any word back from Makoto, my sister, and the others yet?"

"I'm afraid not, Princess Rune" answered Dr. Schtalubaugh, "Knowing Makoto and Sensei Fujisawa as I do, I'm sure that the two courageous adventurers will not be returning until they have found the cause behind each of the four spatial anomalies – that, or likely fellow human travelers from Earth near those sites! I expect it to be a few more days at least before they make their return. Like yourself, I suspect, I am quite anxious to discover what, or _who_, it is that they find!"

"I see…" responded Prince Rune, with a slight look and tone of dejection, "I hope that they are all right. We owe a great deal to Makoto and his friends… and it would sadden me greatly to see anything untoward happen to my sister again."

"Perish the thought!" exclaimed Dr. Schtalubaugh in turn, "Makoto and Fujisawa have proven themselves on countless occasions, Highness. If there are _any_ that can be counted upon, it is _they_."

"Yes… I'm confident that you are right, as usual, Dr. Schtalubaugh" responded Princess Rune in turn while forcing a tranquil smile, before her and Schtalbaugh would be intruded upon by a far less tranquil Londs.

"Londs!" exclaimed Princess Rune, as she took note of the kneeling chief servant of the royal house of Roshtaria.

"Please forgive the intrusion, Princess" he stated, "But we have an _urgent_ message from the most revered Priestesses _Afura Mann _and _Shayla Shayla_ that requires your immediate attention! They… they have spotted an increase in the ranks of the bugrom, my Highness!"

A look of supreme unpleasant shock washed over the faces of both Rune Venus and Schtalubaugh. They feared what this message might tell of. Little did they know how dire the situation really was as a fully restored Bugrom Empire was now in the hands of two _domineering megalomaniacs_ from Earth.

"**You found Mikuru!**" came the high-pitched and jubilant cry of Haruhi Suzumiya, rushing over to meet the descending Red Comet, Katsuhiko Jinnai, and Mikuru Asahina on the high altitude balcony overlooking vast territory below, "Excellent job, _**SOS Man!**_"

SOS Man stood with chest proudly puffed out, a boastful smile on his face, and closed fists angled at his waist, taking in the scene of the speeding satisfied Suzumiya. Mikuru wasn't sure whether to be gladdened to be reunited with the leader of the SOS Brigade and her mission objective, or to shrink backwards from what would undoubtedly come next.

"**Mikuru!**" shouted a joyous Haruhi as she leapt through the air, glomping my poor dear Asahina, "I'm _so_ glad to see you again!"

Just before engineering this egotistical spectacle of a return through having Gummo report the good news of Mikuru's retrieval to Haruhi a few minutes ahead of Mikuru's actual arrival, Katsuhiko Jinnai had saw to the depositing of Fatora to a special prison in a section of the latest Bugrom fortress that only he and a few other bugrom had even ventured into. There, he had the _furious_ Fatora unbounded by Chico and Zeppo while locking her up. Fatora made many threats and promises of recompense to Jinnai, but he laughed them off, saying that _Fatora_ should be the one worried, for he intended to try Fatora for _attempted genocide_ of the bugrom people once the Bugrom Empire had conquered all of El Hazard, much to Groucho's great enthusiasm. That was a statement by Jinnai that actually had Fatora taken aback. She never imagined that such _jurisprudence_ would hold any significance to Jinnai. Meanwhile, Jinnai and Groucho were a bit startled to see how much significance _the body of Mikuru _held to Haruhi…

Haruhi had one arm held tightly around Mikuru's neck while her free hand was petting Mikuru's head. Haruhi was nibbling on Mikuru's ear and making sounds of bemused pleasure, while Mikuru began to whine slightly over this aggressive physical contact. Katsuhiko Jinnai blinked uneasily as he overlooked the scene from just a few feet behind the two young women, and with a look of slight consternation on his face. Groucho lacked such facial expressiveness for the most part, and hence he chose to give voice to his concerns.

Boss… he began in question, particularly as Haruhi was now squeezing Mikuru's left breast, Is Queen Haruhi a _lesbian_, boss?

Jinnai turned his face quickly sideways to meet Groucho's, and released a very crude 'huh?' of sorts.

"How am _I_ supposed to know, Groucho?!" he exclaimed in irritated return question.

Groucho found Jinnai's appearance of lack of concern over Haruhi's possible lesbian inclinations odd.

Don't you care if she is a lesbian, boss? asked Groucho in turn.

"I have bigger things to worry about than the sexual orientation of the new Bugrom Queen, Groucho" answered Katsuhiko Jinnai as he began to stride confidently away from this scene, possibly signaling that he planned to begin mobilizing his forces, "I **do** have _a world_ to **conquer**, after all!"

Haruhi was temporarily pulled away from her rapacious fondling of Mikuru by Jinnai's words here. There was something she found… oddly _sinister_ about Jinnai's precise choice of words and _tone_ here. It… _concerned_ her a bit. It threatened to _finally_ have the misinterpreting fog lifted from her encrusted eyes! Still, the continuance of Groucho's drive to get Jinnai to be more open about his feelings for Haruhi would lower that particular threat level.

You've changed _a lot_, boss stated Groucho, You used to be a much better _liar_.

When it came to positive sentiments for others, Jinnai generally preferred to be very subtle and _anything_ but sappy or romantic. Furthermore, while he had indeed become attracted to Haruhi, his complete lack of experience with dealing with romantic feelings made him _very_ nervous over giving the slightest amount of attention to them. For Jinnai, _war_ was like a beautiful paint-by-numbers set where careful preparation, sound application, a little bit of ingenuity, and mostly straightforward approaches, tended to yield positive results… while _women_ were a _far_ more mysterious and troublesome sort, fraught with too many unstated variables. In matters of war, he sensed that Haruhi would prove to be a great _asset_ in painting those numbers with him, and for _that_ reason amongst others he respected her greatly – she was a young woman that could command and think _like a man_, in Jinnai's understanding of the gender differences, and Jinnai admired that _immensely_ in her. Approaching her _as a young woman_ simply terrified him however. Hence, he tried to terrify Groucho to _cease and _desist with his self-appointed match-maker role.

"_**That is enough**_, Groucho!" shouted Jinnai, rushing up to his top Bugrom lieutenant, while thrusting an arm up into the air to further accentuate his displeasure, "I have had it _**up to here**_ with your _**incessant badgering **_of…!"

"_**Stop it!**_" interrupted a highly distressed Haruhi, jumping up to stand between Jinnai and Groucho, "Both of you… **stop it**! You're upsetting Mikuru!"

S-sorry, my Queen managed Groucho, while Jinnai said nothing, I deeply apologize for upsetting you and Mikuru.

"Well…" continued Haruhi, "… since it is _sooooo_ important to the two of you… I'm open to relationships with _both_ males _and_ females. The key to me isn't gender, but whether or not the potential boyfriend or girlfriend is an alien, time traveler, slider, or esper!"

Jinnai's facial expression became slightly more distraught by these words… enough so to catch Haruhi's attention.

Haruhi hence turned away from him, while blushing slightly, and adding an unexpected addendum to her usual criteria for romantic partners.

"…Well, a person who's _widely beloved_ by aliens, time travelers, sliders, or espers might be Ok too…" stated Haruhi in a low tone of voice, betraying the slightest degree of shyness over her new friend Katsuhiko Jinnai.

Jinnai couldn't help but to grin like the cat that had just ate a canary, over these words by Haruhi. Haruhi noticed his grin, but only for a millisecond, as Groucho interrupted her gaze with a follow-up question.

"… Why do you fondle your friend Mikuru like that, then?" asked Groucho, "Is she an alien, esper, time traveler, or slider?

"No, no, _**of course not!**_" answered Haruhi with considerable exasperation, "But that's _beside_ the point! Don't you know how you're supposed to treat a moe mascot _anyway_?!"

_Moe…_ began a befuddled Groucho.

"…_**mascot?!**_" completed a bewildered Jinnai.

"_Yeah_ – moe mascot!" reiterated Haruhi, "The Bugrom Empire _badly_ needs one, and Mikuru is the perfect moe mascot! He he he…"

"Oh… I see" responded a smiling Jinnai, after giving it a moment of thought, "You're going to have Mikuru become _a cheerleader_ for the bugrom! Yes… I think that she _would_ be perfect for that morale-boosting role!"

"Exactly!" replied Haruhi, relieved to see that Jinnai quickly grasped at least _part_ of what she meant by _moe mascot_, before turning her mind back to a now more pressing concern, "But… that aside, I _do_ need to penalize Mikuru for abandoning me."

"_**W-what?!**_" asked a jittery Mikuru in alarmed question.

"While I'm glad to see you again, Mikuru…" began Haruhi, "The way that you abandoned me is _irresponsibly unforgivable_! So… to make amends, I want you to get this overly messy fortress looking spick and span! I want the floors to shine and sparkle so brightly that when their reflecting light strike SOS Man's helmet, it'll cause a cascading effect that'll simply be the most explosively shimmering thing ever!"

"_T-this entire fortress?!_" protested Mikuru.

"Yes!" reiterated Haruhi loudly, "Now get to it, Mikuru!"

"**Heh!**" came Mr. Jinnai in a high-pitch short chuckle, as he was greatly amused and impressed by Haruhi's _flawlessly evil_ harsh disciplinarian ways, _"Heh heh heh heh heh…!"_

Groucho actually felt sorry for the poor Asahina… as do I in retrospect. _Sigh_

"You know _exactly_ how to punish disobedient subordinates, Haruhi!" stated a gushing SOS Man to her, as a sobbing Mikuru began searching for cleaning materials, "I couldn't have handled that better myself!"

"Thanks for being supportive as always, _**SOS Man!**_" Haruhi responded cheerfully, "Unlike Mikuru, I can _always_ count on you!"

For a brief moment, the new Bugrom Queen and the Supreme Commander of the Bugrom Empire were in such harmony and accord with one another that Diva would have been completely pleased with the scene if she had been there to witness it. However, all good things must come to an end, and so this scene did as well, as Haruhi remembered how she had to question Jinnai on what he meant, exactly, by conquering the world of El Hazard.

"Still…" stated Haruhi softly, but in an anxious tone, "There _is_ something important that I need to talk to you about, Katsuhiko."

"Oh?" asked Jinnai, wondering what this could be, "What is it?"

"We'll talk about it while we inspect the building work going on" answered Haruhi, "Please follow beside me!"

While serious surveying and discussion would soon be going on between Haruhi and Jinnai, a much more playful sort of activity welcomed Makoto as he woke up this morning. Makoto's eyes slowly blinked open, as he gradually rose into the world of consciousness. As he awoke, he suddenly noticed, however, that there was a long wig on his head. Furthermore, he had somehow ended up wearing an elegant nightgown! Makoto was dumbfounded over how this could be… but he would soon find a disenchanting answer to his confusion. One man's disenchantment can be one woman's _enchantment_, however…

"**~Good morning, **_**Fatora!~**_" came the ever vibrant and often sweet voice of Alielle, as she learned her face over Makoto's, and gazed dreamily and intensely into his eyes.

"Ah…_ ah… __**Aaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!**_" screamed Makoto in extreme duress.

"~Come on Fatora…~" continued Alielle in happy pretentiousness, "Don't be like that! Your always loving Alielle is here to make sure that you're happy and taken care of!"

"_This_ again!" exclaimed a disgruntled but healed Masamichi, rushing into Makoto's separate bedroom at the sound of Makoto's screaming, and quickly enough to catch the scene of Alielle snuggling up to Makoto, as he began wildly scratching at his hair, "Makoto… isn't classman Jinnai's behavior bad enough?! Now _you_ want to drag the honor of Shinonome High school straight through the mud _as well_?!"

This was, by far, the signal worse feeling of déjà vu that Makoto had ever had.

"It's not what it looks like!" he cried.

"Yeah… Makoto's probably telling the truth, Sensei Fujisawa!" stated Nanami Jinnai as she rushed into Makoto's bedroom behind Fujisawa, "_Alielle_ is behind this! She's dressing up Makoto as Fatora again, in order to compensate for how the _real_ Fatora has been kidnapped by my foul foolish brother! Am I right, Alielle?"

"Y-yeah…" managed Alielle, weakly and very sadly, "I'm sorry, Makoto… but I'm really missing _**~Fatora!~**_ Could you please pretend to be Fatora for me, Makoto? You did such an _amazing_ job of it last time, after all!"

Itsuki, Miz Mishtal, and I had all noticed the loud commotion by now as well, and had come to see the scene first-hand. Seeing Alielle force Makoto in drag was enough to make me bring my palm to my face, while Koizumi laughed uneasily, and Miz simply looked disturbed.

"Well, um… I" began Makoto in answer to Fatora's plea, "_Man_ I really don't want to go through _this_ again! People will _really_ start thinking that I'm some kind of pervert if I do this _again_!"

"~Please…?~" continued Alielle in imploring request, while making the saddest eyes that she could make to Makoto, "_Pretty pretty please_ with a lucheberry on top?"

Makoto began scratching his head and wig, while laughing nervously and searching the faces of the rest of us in the room to get some sort of sense of what he should do here.

"Well… I won't think any less of you whatever you do, Makoto" stated Nanami, "Well… as long as you make her _pay_ you for the privilege of playacting as Fatora, of course!"

"More of this doubled-up Princess stuff…" added in Sensei Fujisawa, "Just _what are_ the basics here on El Hazard _anyway_, huh?!"

"Don't look at me" I stated, shrugging my shoulders, "Haruhi's put me through a lot of embarrassing activities, so I'm _certainly_ in no position to tell you not to meet Alielle's request."

"I think that it would be quite nice of you to do this for Alielle" chimed in Itsuki, "In _my_ mind, Makoto, it would demonstrate that you're a good caring person that's completely secure in his manhood!"

"… Yeah, I think I have to agree with Koizumi, after thinking about it for a sec, Makoto" stated Miz Mishtal, "It would be a very nice gesture to Alielle during a very tough time for the poor girl."

And with that, Makoto could tell that he wasn't getting much support for not giving in to Alielle's request. Hence, with a deep sigh he relented to Alielle's request, pleasing her greatly.

"Fine, Alielle…" stated Makoto with the tone of a beaten man, a tone I was quite familiar with, "I'll playact as Fatora for you…"

"Yay!" shouted a very gratified Alielle, "_You're the best_, Mak… er, I mean… _**~Fatora!~**_"

And with that, the seven of us all began washing, showering, eating breakfast, and getting dressed into fresh new clothes… with Makoto getting dressed in the finest of feminine wear that had been left behind in Fatora's luggage bag, of course. One of Oliver Saturn's waitresses had dropped by on his behalf to see where Mikuru was. _Prince Randorm_, of all people, actually took it upon himself to do the same! We told the truth to both – the truth of how she had been abducted by Katsuhiko Jinnai and the bugrom, and how we intended to rescue her. The waitress expressed sincere dismay over that and wished us the best in rescuing Mikuru, making a point to add that Oliver was really worried about Mikuru and that she might make up a comforting lie concerning Mikuru's whereabouts.

Prince Randorm actually offered to accompany us in our rescue mission, but we declined his most generous and unexpected offer, saying that we had matters well in hand. However, Itsuki took advantage of Randorm's generosity, stating how having a second flying vessel would be very useful, given the rescue plans that he had made up. Prince Randorm happily met Itsuki's request, saying how it was the least that he could do.

"What do we want the second flying vessel for, Koizumi?" asked Miz Mishtal, "The Camerock is still in good shape, and carry all seven of us."

"I think that it would be a good idea if we split up into two different teams…" began Koizumi in answer, "and with each team heading to one of the two remaining spacial anomaly points."

"Why's that?" asked Nanami, raising an eyebrow.

"Well…" continued Koizumi in answer, "For Katsuhiko Jinnai to abduct Mikuru as he did, it stands to reason that there's a chance that he too is aware of the location of the spatial anomalies. Since he made a point to kidnap Mikuru, it may now be one of his goals to capture and kidnap each and every one of us and our fellow SOS Brigade members."

"Yeah… that _does_ sound like something my reprehensible disgrace of a brother would try to do!" exclaimed Nanami in turn.

"So…" continued Koizumi, "I think that we would both cover more ground, and stand a better chance of cutting off Jinnai in his abduction attempts, if we split up into two groups heading to two entirely different geographical areas, with the larger group taking the Camerock to the northern most spacial anomaly, while Kyon and I take Randorm's _Peacemaker_ craft to the other anomaly."

"_Just_ Kyon and you?" asked Makoto, stunned at Koizumi's altered team formations, "That sounds really dangerous and risky to me! It also makes no sense to have _five_ people on one team, and _only two_ on the other"

"I agree!" chimed in Masamichi Fujisawa, "You don't know El Hazard like Nanami, Makoto, and I do. You should definitely take at least one of us, or Alielle or Miz along with you."

"Sensei Fujisawa is right!" exclaimed Nanami, "And… frankly… between _this_ odd suggestion of yours and what my brother said to Makoto about Haruhi… _bugrom_ Haruhi _you_ say, but I still have my doubts to be perfectly honest with you… you guys are starting to seem more than a bit shady to me. What are you hiding, huh?!"

"_**Nanami!**_" piped up Makoto, rushing to our defense, "How can you be so cruel to Koizumi and Kyon like that?! They've been great friends to us since we first met them a few days ago. I'm sure that if they're friends with Haruhi that _she too_ is a good person who wouldn't get mixed up with _Jinnai_, of all people!"

"Well said, Makoto!" chimed in Masamichi Fujisawa, "I say that Koizumi and Kyon simply want to spend some time alone and apart from the rest of us... maybe they'd find it more comforting that way; more free to talk openly about Mikuru and how they miss her. Still… it's just too dangerous for me to allow it!"

I had feared this sort of resistance to Koizumi's plan, and took a certain degree of admittedly proud pleasure in making an _'I told you so'_ type of glance to _him_ for a change.

"…Sensei Fujisawa is right" began a slightly sighing Koizumi scratching his head, and _pretending_ that such an emotional reason was the motivation for his odd team formations, "Beyond that, though… Alielle and Makoto should be together for now since Makoto is playacting as Fatora for _Alielle's_ comfort. I know that Nanami would like to be with _both_ Makoto and Sensei Fujisawa, and Miz would obviously like to be with her husband to be, so…"

"It's alright, kid." interjected Sensei Fujisawa, "I love Miz, and I care a lot about Makoto and Nanami… but _I'll_ come with you and Kyon! I've dealt with the lost of friends before when I was your age… so I don't mind listening to any venting you need to do over your friend Mikuru."

"He's both tough _and_ sensitive!" shouted Miz Mishtal in pride over her fiancé, "Oh… I can't wait to formally be married to you, Masamichi! But… for now… we can go on separate teams. Makoto, Nanami, and Alielle are going to need someone with my _Priestess punch_ on their team!"

"Thanks for understanding, Miz" responded Sensei Fujisawa with a smile, and while wrapping one arm lovingly around her.

"Any time, sweetheart!" replied Miz Mishtal

While the others voiced satisfaction with Sensei Fujisawa and Miz Mishtal's idea, Koizumi carefully puzzled it over. He was thinking long and hard over how sensitive Masamichi Fujisawa _really was_. Eventually, he came to a high estimation of Sensei Fujisawa, and hence agreed to his suggestion.

"Ok then" stated Koizumi, "Kyon and I are fine with those two teams as well. Let's go rescue Fatora and Mikuru!"

Princess Rune Venus, Dr. Schtalubaugh, Londs, Afura Mann, and Shayla Shayla, had far more to worry about than any two people alone however, as they held a private meeting in Princess Rune's royal throne room.

"So you say that you were sneak-attacked by about twenty bugrom at the summit of Mount Muldoon?" asked an alarmed Rune Venus.

"Yeah… those _wretched insects_ had it in their minds **to do us in**!" exclaimed Shayla Shayla in answer.

"Not only that…" added in Afura Mann, "But one within their number attacked us with more skill than I've _ever_ seen a bugrom fight with before!"

"This is most disquieting" stated Londs, "I had hoped we had been rid of the threat of the bugrom for good! At least beyond the small remnant that the earthling Jinnai commands!"

"It is the proficiency of that one bugrom in battle that worries me more than their numbers, though…" chimed in Dr. Schtalubaugh.

"Why is that, noble scholar?" asked Afura Mann

"The threat of the bugrom increased tenfold under the tactical expertise of Katsuhiko Jinnai" began Dr. Schtalubaugh in answer, "As fiendish a villain as he is, we must still give him his proper due there. However… this is not merely improved battle tactics, but improved combat ability on the part of one _individual_ bugrom. It is a _new_ improvement, likely beyond Jinnai's abilities given what Makoto has told me about him. Hence… just as Jinnai increased the threat of the bugrom through improved tactics… perhaps the spatial anomalies mean we have _another_ earthling helping the bugrom; an earthling skilled in imparting _personal combat_ expertise!"

"That can't be!" exclaimed Afura Mann, "I've _met_ two of the newest Earth travelers to El Hazard, and they're good kids – just like Makoto and Nanami! They told Shayla Shayla, Miz Mishtal and I all about their three other friends who also sound like good kids!"

"Yeah… but Schtalubaugh might have a point, Afura…" stated Shayla Shayla, giving some serious though to it, "Makoto told me that Jinnai's villainous activities here in El Hazard initially took him by surprise. Apparently, Jinnai _snapped_ just before or just after coming to El Hazard… maybe the same happened to one of Koizumi and Kyon's friends!"

Haruhi, of course, never _snapped_ like Jinnai… rather, she's _always_ been more than a bit eccentric. And, also at times, not the most perceptive of people around – frequently guided by wishful thinking more than by deep thought or reading between the lines. The question would now be how she'd interpret Jinnai's latest words to her.

"Katsuhiko…" began Haruhi to him, "You said earlier that you had a world to conquer. What exactly did you mean by that?"

Jinnai was startled by Haruhi's question momentarily, as it sounded like something a _pacifist_ would ask. Then, however, he quickly saw his _perceived_ error.

"_No…_ wait…!" he stated in a very alarmed tone, "I never meant that I _and I alone_ would conquer El Hazard, Haruhi! I wouldn't _dream_ of leaving _you_ out of the conquest, of course! You _are_ the Bugrom Queen, after all!"

Jinnai chuckled a bit nervously after that, while making a special mental note to himself to _never again_ act like he _and he alone_ would be conquering El Hazard.

"I'm… glad to know you wouldn't 'leave me out of it', Katsuhiko…" responded Haruhi, "But that's not really what I meant. What I mean is… well, what does conquest _entail_ exactly, for you?"

Jinnai was taken aback by this follow up question, and struggled to find a good way to describe what such an _elementary_ concept that he felt was _self-explanatory_.

"Well… what does conquest always mean?" he asked while shrugging his shoulders, "It means victory! It means _triumph_! It means the enlargement of the territory that you control! In _our_ case, Haruhi, it will mean that the entire world of El Hazard will be under our _sole_ jurisdiction – it will all be _Bugrom Empire_ territory!"

Jinnai had just dodged a bullet there. Haruhi had been looking for something – _anything_ – that would clearly specify _violence_. Jinnai never gave it, using much more generalized definitions for _conquest_. And, it was a definition that Haruhi quickly became very enthralled with, particularly as she focused on what Diva had said earlier about the SOS Brigade and the Bugrom Empire becoming one and the same.

"_Wow…_" she said to herself, as the image of an alien world having a gigantic SOS Brigade symbol branded unto it flashed through Haruhi's mind, "_**An SOS Brigade that encompasses an entire alien world!!!**_"

Haruhi stretched out her hands in ravenous desire, and her wings similarly stretched out. So _excited_ was she by this notion of an alien world under the sole jurisdiction of the SOS Brigade that her wings actually began to moisten themselves through impassioned excretions!

"Well… sure, I guess" responded SOS Man, "I _guess_ with you being both Bugrom Queen and the leader of the SOS Brigade that Bugrom Empire territory can also be SOS Brigade territory as well, if you want!"

"_Of course_ that's what I want!" replied Haruhi with explosive fervor, "We're going to make _every last alien on this planet_ a member of the SOS Brigade!"

Jinnai found this plan dementedly ambitious, even by his standards. Nonetheless… there were facets to the plan that amused him, and he appreciated the sheer _audacity_ behind it.

"_Propagandizing_ all the humans of El Hazard to join _our_ side…" he said in a low tone to himself, virtually in awe of Haruhi's plan, "What _backbone_ you have, Haruhi Suzumiya! **Yes… **I would be _honored_ to engage in such a daring scheme!"

"**Great!**" exclaimed a joyous Haruhi in turn, "We need to start making up thousands upon thousands of SOS Brigade promotional boxes and membership cards! Then you can start delivering them to whatever nation you want to 'conquer' first!"

"Agreed!" shouted a pumped ecstatic Jinnai in turn… but then suddenly a stark somber seriousness washed over him.

"Huh?" asked Haruhi, noticing the sudden change coming over him, "What's wrong, Katsuhiko?"

"We're going to have to be a _little bit_ selective, at least, over who we bring into the SOS Brigade…" he stated, "There are the followers of the _xenophobic_ **Gihren Zala** after all!"

Haruhi began to ask Jinnai about Gihren Zala – a man who's name Jinnai could only _sneer_ when referencing him. What she found out about Gihren Zala would _horrify_ her, and cause her to be in strong agreement with Jinnai on the matter of who to invite into the SOS Brigade.

Gihren Zala was the former Chancellor of the country of Gagnon. His rise to power in El Hazard came at a most tragic time, a mere fifteen years ago. The people of the Alliance had gone to great lengths to shroud him and his shameful existence from Makoto, Sensei Fujisawa, and Nanami Jinnai… and they had actually been successful here. Katsuhiko Jinnai, however, was _keenly_ aware of him, but had never seen any reason to bring Gihren Zala up in conversation to either of his fellow earthlings… until now.

Gihren Zala was a fascist dictator who believed that El Hazard needed to be _genetically cleansed_ of every sentient species that existed upon it other than its humans. Hence, he wanted the Shadow Tribe and the Bugrom Empire wiped _entirely_ from existence. That struggle alone, would lead to travesty, but that travesty was compounded by the fact that, at the time, the Shadow Tribe was led by a young optimistic Galus married to a human female mage and the Bugrom Empire was led by Diva's mother and royal predecessor, who's dream was to unite all the species of El Hazard together in peace and harmony; to end untold ages of war.

Gihren Zala stood in the way of _all_ of that, as his economic policies would gain him prestige and zealous support amongst the people of Gagnon. Zala hence began his mission to rule El Hazard, and rid it of the Bugrom and the Shadow Tribe. Up to this point, the Shadow Tribe had been largely ostracized, yes, but never _hunted down like dogs_. Now, they _were_. The Bugrom Empire had occasional violent border skirmishes with the humans of El Hazard, but not much more. Gihren changed _that_ as well.

Diva's mother would _die_ in one of Gihren's more vicious military assaults against the Bugrom, leaving the young bereaved Diva to lead the Bugrom Empire at an overly young age.

The _most precious person in Galus' life_ – the daughter of him and his wife _Precia_ – his daughter _Alicia_ – had been irrevocably poisoned by one of Gihren's chemical agent attacks. Galus knew that El Hazard had the medical technology to save her, but he was blocked access to it due to the cruel machinations of Gihren Zala. Hence, in a _desperate_ move to save his dear wife and his darling daughter while Gihren laid siege to the Shadow Tribe's most populous city, he used the most advanced technology that the Shadow Tribe had to attempt an experimental transport of his wife and daughter through an intergalactic portal to an alien world.

"I promise I will return to Al Hazard with Alicia fully healed, my love!" Precia had shouted to him, with her dialect-based mispronouncing of _El Hazard's_ name.

"I know… I know I can rely on you my dearest Precia!" Galus had responded passionately to her, "Please keep good care of our darling daughter! I will miss you both terribly… but this is the only way!"

"I'm going to miss you, daddy… and you too, Nanoha…" said that young six year old Alicia, the darling and symbol of hope to the Shadow Tribe as a whole, to her father, and to her age peer and best friend Nanoha.

And _that_ was what moved Galus, Nahato, and Nanoha onward at this moment. _That_ was what turned them from the charming, pleasant people that they genuinely had been… and into the killers that they would be today.

When he lost his wife and his daughter, Galus went cold – _completely cold_. He allowed his emotions to harden and slide deep down within his psyche. He would only be cool and calculating – ever searching to make the world _pay_ and pay _dearly_ for costing him his wife and daughter as he grew increasingly hopeless over the prospect of them ever returning.

Nahato deeply resented the Bugrom Empire for not aligning more closely with the Shadow Tribe. The pacifist mother of Queen Diva had refused overlays of an alliance with the Shadow Tribe and against Gihren Zala and his Gagnon. Like Lord Galus as well, Nahato wanted the world to pay.

And as for Nanoha… Nanoha _loved_ Alicia. Alicia was the girl with the beautiful eyes to Nanoha – the best friend that she could ever have. When Alicia left… so did part of Nanoha's conscience and soul. Nonetheless, a small part of Nanoha Inverse would not give up hope – a small part hoped and believed with all her heart that her Lord Galus and Master Nahato would not simply destroy El Hazard – but rather would send it through a purifying flame of recreation. Nanoha wanted to see Alicia again… at almost any cost. She held great resentment against the humans of El Hazard… but, she was beginning to suffer a crisis of conscience over the humans _of Earth_ that were now here.

Still, as Nanoha Inverse followed closely behind Itsuki Koizumi, Kyon, and Masamichi Fujisawa at this hour, it was her continuing focus on Alicia that drove her onwards, and to _silence_ the conscience that hated what she was doing.

"Sensei Fujisawa…" stated Koizumi, "There is a… jarring confession I have to make to you."

"No problem, Koizumi" he replied, "Like I said… I can empathize with what you and Kyon are going through. I'm all ears, kiddo!"

"Haruhi Suzumiya… the friend of Kyon and I…" began Koizumi in explanation, "It has always been her dream to encounter aliens."

"She must certainly be having a great time in El Hazard then!" shouted Masamichi Fujisawa, trying to cheer up Itsuki and me.

"Yes, you're probably right, Sensei Fujisawa…" replied Koizumi with a smile, appreciating his gesture here, "However… the larger point is… she may in fact have become friends with Katsuhiko Jinnai since Jinnai is on good terms with the _most_ alien of the aliens here on El Hazard… the bugrom."

Sensei Fujisawa took a moment to take this in, realizing how stark and serious it was.

"That's… quite the quandary that you and Kyon might be caught in, huh?" stated Masamichi Fujisawa, "I'm… going to need a few smokes, I'm afraid."

Koizumi and I frowned over the stress we were causing Masamichi, and I sighed over it. Koizumi pushed onwards, though, as Fujisawa took a few deep inhales of cigarette smoke.

"I'm… sorry for laying that on you so suddenly, Sensei Fujisawa" said Itsuki, "But… it's also why I wanted Kyon and I to go alone. We're heading to where Mikuru is, as I was able to place an esper-based psychic tracer of sorts on her when I met her back at the Boudicastra Bistro. There… we expect to find Katsuhiko Jinnai… and our friend Haruhi Suzumiya. It is our hope, Sensei Fujisawa… that we can negotiate with Katsuhiko Jinnai… that we can get him to _reform_ from his violent ways. We want him to voluntarily release Fatora and Mikuru. We'd like to settle this _peacefully_ if possible… for our friend Haruhi's sake."

And Koizumi left it at that, waiting to see what Masamichi Fujisawa would do or say. To our shocked selves, we suddenly found him wrapping one arm around each of our heads, and crying what I'll generously call _manly_ tears.

"_**You two are such great kids and faithful friends!**_" he exclaimed, clearly touched by Koizumi's words and plan, "I'll do everything I can to help you out! _Nobody_ would be happier than me to see Jinnai reformed from a violent delinquent and into a top student again!"

"Kyon and I are very glad to hear you say that" replied Itsuki with a smile, "You are a credit to your profession, Sensei Fujisawa."

The whole scene was too good to be true, I thought to myself. Regrettably, I was almost right. It wasn't too good to be true, but it was too good to _last_.

With a great bluish blast of highly concussive energy, the _Peacemaker_ flying vessel that we were on was shot straight through the middle of it, causing riveting explosions and dangerous fires to sprout up around us. The vessel began descending wildly and noisily, as it was out of control! Likewise, Itsuki, Sensei Fujisawa, and I, had all been thrown violently about unto one ledge of the Peacemaker, holding on to it for dear life!

As I looked frantically about to see what could have struck us, I caught a glimpse of something in the corner of my eye that perhaps disturbed me more than anything else had since I landed in El Hazard.

I saw _Yuki Nagato_, garbed in strange attire… and with a recently discharged energy staff of some sort pointed directly at us. The hardest fight of my life would soon be upon me…

**To be continued…!!!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – The Demon God of Haruhi Suzumiya

Along with the Peacemaker craft lit aflame, Sensei Fujisawa, Itsuki, and I began plummeting rapidly towards the reddish rocky barren ground below. From what I could tell, we were situated near El Hazard's equivalent to _the Grand Canyon_ of America, Earth. I could actually see the quickly onrushing view of geological cycles in sediment layers, as a broken flying vessel and gravity pulled me alongside it. Those _geological_ cycles could serve as striking symbolism for the cycles _of violence_ that gripped the otherwise magnificent world of El Hazard. For all of El Hazard's magnificence, _war_ had nonetheless torn it asunder for far too long, serving to break its various peoples and species against one another in the most grim of conflicts. Now, in a fitting but tragic manner, the SOS Brigade that I belonged to had also been torn asunder, and broken in half…

"_**Yuki!**_" I exclaimed to her in stupefaction, attempting to have my voice carry over the cacophonous caterwauling of the plunging _Peacemaker_, "Where have you been?! _**What are you doing?!**_"

"Kyon!" shouted Koizumi to me, "We'll need to find out about Yuki later! Right now, focus on using your magnetic powers to land us safely!"

Itsuki was quite correct, as heat friction caused by the pull of gravity and dancing flames caused by Yuki's earlier attack threatened to incinerate us. Hence, I used my magnetic powers to slow the largely metallic _Peacemaker's_ descent, and us along with it. This had an effect very similar to that of a parachute, and hence after a minute of gradual descent, we came to a soft landing.

"That looks like one of those demon gods that Makoto and I have run across a few times!" exclaimed Sensei Fujisawa, in reference to Yuki Nagato, who he had also stolen a glimpse of during our downward descent, "Her height and face are very different from, but her clothes _are just like,_ Ifurita's!"

"…_demon god…?_" I whispered to myself in disbelief, alarmed and amazed at the idea that the ever calm, quiet, and rational Yuki could become such a thing.

"We don't yet have the luxury to stop and make assessments!" shouted Koizumi, as his esper senses were _screaming_ warning signals at him that he perceived much as we would hear the blaring sirens of a ambulance or a police car, "Sensei Fujisawa… _behind you…!_"

"_Starlite…_" reverberated the exotic voice of Nanoha Inverse, "_**…SLAVE!!**_!"

A cannonading meteoric _rainbow_ of colossal power bore a deep cut through the air, heading precisely for the chest of Sensei Fujisawa! Thankfully, Sensei Fujisawa had been given just enough warning by Itsuki to leap over the blast, while Itsuki and I dived to opposite sides, away from it.

"Fujisawa....___Roundhouse…__** KICK!!!**_" exclaimed Sensei Fujisawa, as he made a simply super signal bound towards the spotted Nanoha Inverse, knocking her _Raging Heart_ sniper rifle out of her hands as she grunted in pain!

Sensei Fujisawa's impressively quick combat reaction time combined with his startling speed had taken Nanoha by surprise, and hence she tumbled backwards somewhat clumsily. He then grabbed Nanoha by her neck collar and lifted her up slightly so the two could meet eye to eye.

"Now just what do you think that you're doing, _**young lady?!**_" he asked in the tone of a sincerely concerned disciplinarian, "You're not supposed to attack your elders like that! You could take _an eye_ out with one of those blasts!"

Nanoha was confounded by Fujisawa's words here, as his endeavor to reason with someone who clearly had attempted to kill or maim him struck her as both strange… and oddly _merciful_ given what _she_ had come to expect of full-bred humans. She was very much uncertain of what to say to him. Thankfully for her, the hovering Yuki Nagato would break up this tense moment.

"_Move_" Yuki said very pronouncedly, as she motioned her key staff sideways.

Suddenly, a powerful air current erupted seemingly out of nowhere, and all around Nanoha. This air current served to toss a yelling in turbulence Sensei Fujisawa a good three hundred feet away. With that, the initial bloodcurdling assault of Yuki Nagato and Nanoha Inverse finally began to slow down somewhat, giving Itsuki and I a change to regain our bearings. The two of us were breathing very heavily from the sheer excitement of the past minute, and while we were concerned for Sensei Fujisawa, we couldn't take our eyes off of Yuki Nagato, wearing a rather colorful and ostentatious outfit that reflected well her imposing nature.

After taking a moment to size up Nanoha Inverse in order to ensure that her ally in this mission was relatively unharmed, Yuki Nagato began to slowly move about to face Kyon and I.

"Nagato…" I began in breathless question and wonderment, "W-where have you been? Are you… are you Ok? Koizumi and I were worried about you!"

On an _emotional_ level, I wanted to get through to the Yuki Nagato that _I_ knew and considered _a friend_, and talk her down. However, on a purely _intellectual_ level, I had already surmised that something within her had changed drastically, and in such a way that she had somehow come to view one or all of the people in Koizumi's party as an enemy. I briefly recalled the small tidbits of information that Makoto had given me concerning Ifurita during our second night in Canbia.

Makoto had done this just to be sure we knew how _dangerous_ Katsuhiko Jinnai could be if the power of a demon god, or a close approximation thereof, had fallen into his hands. I now feared that this is what had happened to Nagato, and why she was attacking us. Perhaps… perhaps she felt that Koizumi's plan was too great a risk to Haruhi's mental health, and that the best course of action _of all_ would be to simply allow Haruhi to continue on completely unaware of the darker deeds of Katsuhiko Jinnai.

As problematic as my theory here would be, it was arguably not as problematic as what the reality of the situation was, making this a rare occurrence where my low assessment of a situation was actually _not low enough_. This was one 'demon god' that Katsuhiko Jinnai did not, nor would ever, control. Rather, the even more destructive Shadow Tribe held her within their insurgent grasp.

"Yuki Nagato and Nanoha Inverse have both intercepted the Itsuki Koizumi party, Lord Galus" reported Nahato, as he had watched that volatile interception unfold through cameras that Yuki and Nanoha each had with them, "They have already reduced the ironically named _Peacemaker_ craft to so much scrap metal! However, I regret to report that Itsuki, Kyon, and Sensei Fujisawa are all still alive, my Lord. _Most_ worrisome is how Kyon is attempting to rebuild his friendship with his lost SOS Brigade comrade!"

"Patience, Nahato… _patience…_" implored Lord Galus, "Koizumi's esper abilities meant that a quick and easy assassination attempt would be unlikely… but I have no doubt that the sum power of Yuki Nagato and our own Nanoha Inverse is sufficient to crush these three obstacles here that lie in the way of our path of vengeance. _And…_ though it is not a _certain_ gamble… I strongly suspect that the same Yuki Nagato that failed to recognize Haruhi Suzumiya will not recognize Kyon or Itsuki Koizumi either!"

And hence, Galus and I were like two poker players playing Russian roulette with our very lives and fates. We both had _bets_, of sorts, placed on Yuki Nagato. Soon we would know which of us held the better hand…

"Yuki!" exclaimed Itsuki Koizumi, hoping that the addition of his voice and words to that of mine would improve our chances of getting through to her, "Are you still in contact with the _integrated data entity_? However much your memories or mind may have been corrupted by travelling to El Hazard, you _must_ remember **the integrated data entity**, at least!"

Yuki Nagato, who had up until now seemed flawlessly cold, emotionless, and mechanical, suddenly _gasped_ at Koizumi's mention of the integrated data entity. Yuki Nagato actually began to grip her head tightly between her two elegantly garbed hands, leaving her key staff somehow floating aloft in midair. Her eyes rapidly shot back and forth like slot machine openings, as she frantically searched her memory banks for anything that could even _remotely_ be referring to this _mysterious_ integrated data entity that she currently knew nothing of… yet somehow, as if by mystical revelation of all things, she knew was of great importance! Nanoha, now fully recovered from Sensei Fujisawa's earlier counterassault against her, and with her Raging Heart sniper rifle retrieved, had turned about to look into the face of her perplexing ally. At this point, Nanoha was almost as confused as the rest of us where over what she should do next! Itsuki and I took this opportunity to confer amongst ourselves.

"Koizumi…" I stated in whisper to him, "While Nagato doesn't seem to remember the two of us at all, you're mentioning of the integrated data entity has _really_ set her off."

"While you, Miss Nagato, and I are all friends and fellow SOS Brigade members…" stated Koizumi in reply, "The truth is that she has not known us all that long, and in fact, has only made a few truly notable memories during her time with us thus far. The integrated data entity, on the other hand, shares a great link… an _irrefutable bond…_ with Miss Nagato that reaches deep into the metaphysical depths of conscience, consciousness, and sense of self. Even if that link has been severed through some magnificent means, the _residue_ of that link can be no more scattered away than a young man could scatter away the residue of the bond and love that he shares with a recently passed but beloved mother."

"Do you think, then, Koizumi…" I responded to him, "That your mentioning of the integrated data entity will get through to Nagato? Do you think it will repair her of whatever currently ails her mind? Does it have a _chance of working_, Koizumi?"

"It is our _only_ chance, Kyon…" he replied to me in an unusually stern tone for him.

"Who _are_ you two?" suddenly asked Yuki Nagato in an equally unusually stringent tone for her, turning her attentions back to Itsuki and I.

"Yuki… don't you remember Itsuki and me?" I asked in turn, temporarily taking leave of Koizumi's reasoning in order to attempt every angle possible at getting through to Yuki, "You, Itsuki, Mikuru Asahina, and I are all members of Haruhi Suzumiya's SOS Brigade. Don't you remember all the bizarre adventures and erratic expeditions and whimsical school events that Haruhi put the five of us through?! The five of us have become a _team_, Yuki; a team that works for a special goal to help Haruhi! _Don't you remember the discussions that you and I had about Haruhi?!_"

Yuki's face began to abnormally contort, and twitch, as an actual _anger_ began to build up within Yuki, likely over her being _utterly unaccustomed _to being completely in the dark on something; something, in this case, that she should know everything about! Infuriatingly difficult to discern split second images of memory began spiraling through her mind like a slideshow blitzing too quickly through a wide array of slides. Eventually, this led to Yuki astoundingly boiling over in rage!

"**I don't know you!**" she screamed at us, while she briskly took hold of her key staff, and began pointing it at Kyon and I.

"_Finally!_" stated an exasperated Nanoha, as she had grown impatient herself in waiting for her ally to take action.

Nanoha, with a determine smile on her face, pointed her staff at us as well.

"_Kyon!_" shouted Koizumi in supreme alarm, "Put the most resilient magnetic force field around us that you can muster up… _and then get down_!"

"_Shoot…!_" cried Nanoha, as she began to discharge relatively small, but numerous blasts of a cohesive spiritual energy of sorts from her staff, just as Yuki began to fire a much more potent blow from hers!

While Koizumi and I took the best cover that we possibly could given the circumstances, and I summoned forth a magnetic force field that I sensed should repel _any_ attack that involved actual electrical current even in the slightest… I had my doubts that this would be enough. The exact nature of Nanoha and Yuki's blasts was unknown to me… I deeply hoped and actually _prayed_ that there would be at least _some_ electrons or protons _somewhere_ in their attacks! My prayers, however, would be answered in a manner that I had not expected.

With a great samurai shout, Masamichi Fujisawa leapt on top of Yuki's staff, forcing it to discharge harmlessly into the ground around us. At the same time, Nanoha's blasts had _just enough_ actual electrical current within them to make my magnetic force field an effective deflector of them. Sensei Fujisawa quickly raced over to where we were.

"_**Now lift your force field, Kyon!**_" Koizumi outright bellowed at me, as he had taken notice of Sensei Fujisawa racing over to help the two of us.

Doing as he said, I left him and myself open for Fujisawa to pick each of us up, one dangling precariously from each arm! Fujisawa than sprinted wildly towards a small twenty foot tall rocky hill of sorts in the distance, as he took special care to dodge the rapid and explosive fire of Nanoha and Yuki! Sensei Fujisawa made it there just in time, and the three of us slid our backs up tightly against the side of it that was facing away from Yuki and Nanoha. The distinctive oscillating sound of Nanoha and Yuki's discharging weapon fire, followed up by the much more deafening sound of that fire striking violently against the ground about us and the slowly crumbling hill that currently provided us with shelter from their storm, told Itsuki and I that our current protection will not last long.

"We're going to have to fight back, Kyon…" he said to me in a deeply regretful, yet unflinching tone, "If we don't… _we will die_."

"I know, Itsuki… _I know…_" I replied in a somewhat more dejected and uncertain tone.

"Sensei Fujisawa…" stated Koizumi, "You stay here while I try to subdue Yuki, and Kyon focuses on the unknown assailant. If it looks like one of us is about to be defeated… please help us!"

"Gotcha, kid!" replied Sensei Fujisawa, "Don't worry… Sensei Fujisawa has your backs!"

"Ok then…" responded Itsuki Koizumi, breathing heavily and trying to remain firm for what he knew would be the toughest fight of his life as well, "_Let's go_, Kyon!"

"_Right!_" I managed in surprising steadfast shout, even startling myself somewhat.

Tactically, at least, Koizumi's plan was sure and sound. I lacked the sheer speed necessary to even have an _infinitesimally small_ chance of subduing the likes of Yuki Nagato, while I knew that an airborne Itsuki Koizumi in his esper form could manage impressive combat speeds. At the same time, Nanoha was heavily reliant on one metallic weapon; a weapon that I could easily disarm her of.

While rushing at Nanoha, I commanded my magnetic power as hastily and forcefully as I could, causing Nanoha's Raging Heart to literally _jump_ out of her hands, and land a safe distance away. I then _tackled_ her to the ground, knocking the wind out of her. Our two hands soon became tightly strained against one another in fierce finger lock, while I gazed down at her making a sneering, yet determined, face at me. For _some_ strange reason, I actually tried to flatter her into submission. It probably helped that she looked to be just a year or two younger than me, and with a rather cute face, hairstyle, and outfit.

"You know… you're pretty cute!" I stated to her, "Why don't you forget about this insane attack on us, and just try to calm down! Whatever's _bothering_ you so much as to cause you to attack Itsuki, Sensei Fujisawa, and I like this… we can _help_ you with it!"

"I-it's nothing that you can help with!" she shouted back at me, though not after blushing ever so slightly over me calling her cute, "I-I don't _like_ doing this to you and your friends, but I have no other choice! I _have_ to do this for Lord Galus and Master Nahato!"

"_**What is she saying?!**_" cried a questioning Nahato in horror before bringing his two palms his face, and after he had been watching and _hearing_ this entire spectacle unfold from the safety of his observation laboratory, "She's given us away! They now know of Shadow Tribe involvement here!"

"…That _was_ careless of her" admitted Lord Galus, "Of you, her, and I, it is Nanoha who has the least control of her emotions. She is _such_ an inherently good-natured young woman, and hence actually very much ill-suited to be a Shadow Tribe assassin. That is partly why I had favored Kiriya over her, in spite of Nanoha's persistence to avenge… to avenge _my family_, and restore its honor on my behalf by taking upon herself the most important Shadow Tribe role that she could. While I was being resuscitated, Nahato, I suspect that Nanoha's _unique powers_ were enough for you to try to turn her into something that she is not, weren't they?"

"…yes, Lord Galus, you are essentially correct." Nahato answered, "It seemed such a waste, to me, for someone as unusually powerful as Nanoha to be left on the sidelines!"

"I understand your sentiments, Nahato…" responded Lord Galus, "Let us just hope that Nanoha does not disappoint us again!"

As if on cue, Nanoha then pulled off a very effective maneuver. Suddenly… it was like she had disappeared on me; _vanished_ into thin air! I suddenly perceived a… a… gigantic wave of water erupting out of the nearby great canyon of El Hazard! It would surely be enough to kill me! I could perceive so very little metal around me… certainly not enough to shield me from _this_ oncoming wave! Hence, I ducked and covered and tightly closed my eyes for dear life!

I would soon find myself stunned to be yet dry and standing. It was all a masterfully casted illusion by Nanoha, clearly showing how she was a Shadow Tribe member.

"Foolish human…" she stated with a smirk, suddenly reappearing behind me, "You allow your sense of _sight_ to guide you too easily, failing to perceive _hidden_ reality that lies deep below!"

Nanoha than _belted_ me with a decisive punch across the face, and kicked my legs out from under me. She then pointed her Raging Heart directly at my neck.

"You are _defeated_, Kyon…" she added, "I… I thank you for complimenting me earlier, but I'm afraid that your gentlemanly nature is not reason enough for me to disobey Lord Galus and Master Nahato. However, I sincerely wish for you the best in the after…"

"_Fujisawa…_ **Kick!**" shouted the _streaking_ form of Sensei Fujisawa as he delivered an incredible kick directly to Nanoha's shoulder, sending her careening violently sideways, and bouncing several times roughly upon the ground, _screaming_ in pain. She eventually came to a stop, and with a loud groan, gripping her shoulder while winching in disorienting pain.

"…I'll never live down doing that to a young woman…" stated the chivalrous Sensei Fujisawa, "But…_ sigh…_ she gave me no choice. I'm not letting _you_ down this day, Kyon!"

Sensei Fujisawa held out his hand to pick me up off the ground, and I gratefully took firm hold of it.

"As always, Sensei Fujisawa…" I stated to him, "You're a real life saver!"

"Thanks, kiddo!" exclaimed Sensei Fujisawa, "But… truth be told, I'm worried about Koizumi."

The two of us then looked upwards to gaze at the _fantastically_ fast slashing attacks that emanated bright red and purple slivers of light. These attacks were being made by Yuki and Itsuki jousting against one another in midair. Being unarmed, however, Itsuki was taking the worst of the fight, as Yuki's key staff had slashed him twice across his left side, leaving slight scars and hemorrhaging blood in their wake.

'Yuki!' he shouted at her _telepathically_, and while forming a cross block with his two arms against Yuki's downward thrust of her key staff, 'Please stop this! Please let's talk this over! Kyon and I don't want to fight you, Yuki. Please… let's talk this over logically and rationally. Is that not what you believe in, Yuki?'

'Yes…' she answered telepathically, and while lowering the strength and pressure behind her push against Koizumi's arms _just_ enough to ensure that her attack wouldn't push pass them, but not enough to let Koizumi feel comfortable in releasing the cross block, 'Logic and rational thinking is of _core_ foundational importance…and logically and rationally… I find that the aggressive actions of you and the one called 'Kyon' to contradict your claims of _not_ wanting to fight me.'

'We're defending ourselves, Yuki!' he continued in loud telepathic reply, 'You're giving us no choice!'

'Then you, like I, must have been given a mission by superiors to do…' responded Yuki, 'There is no choice… merely obedience. There is but _obeying the master of the key staff_. It is… _odd_ that you so emotionally rebel against the mission to fight me that you _must_ have been given. You have given me intriguing data to disseminate more thoroughly once I have completed my current objective._ Goodbye…_ one called Koizumi.'

Yuki then increased the strength and pressure behind her downward push tenfold, resulting in Kyon being sent hurtling down towards Sensei Fujisawa and I. With a great shout releasing from his winded lungs and diaphragm, Itsuki would crash upon the reddish rocky barren ground beneath him. With one final soft moan, he would be rendered unconscious for a couple short minutes.

"_Uuunnnnhhhh…_" he made, before his head tilted to the side, and his esper powers flashed away from him.

"_**Koizumi!**_" I exclaimed in impassioned horror at the sight of my fallen friend.

I knelt down at the side of my friend, instinctively grasping his head into my arms.

"Itsuki…" I cried, "We can't do this with out you! You have to get back up!"

"_What are you doing?!_" exclaimed an enraged Masamichi Fujisawa – well, as enraged as the affable Fujisawa ever got – at Yuki Nagato, as he stared up at her, motioning with his hands to accentuate his words, "I now recognize your face. You're Yuki Nagato! You're the friend of these two young students. You're _not_ a demon god of El Hazard – you're just a kid like them! Stop this madness – **now!!!**"

"_Begone_" responded Yuki Nagato in turn, as she created another _very_ localized; _very_ strong air current effect to blow Masamichi Fujisawa and myself out of the spot that Itsuki was currently lying in.

"Itsuki Koizumi is my _top_ objective" she continued, "He is the one called 'the superb diplomat', and hence _his_ termination must be achieved first. _Then_ I will attend to the one called _Kyon_, and the one called _Sensei Fujisawa_."

Watching this from afar, Lord Galus and Nahato breathed a collective sight of relief.

"I have to admit that I was worried for a second there" stated Lord Galus, "But Yuki Nagato has proven her worth to us this day, Nahato. Now if only _Nanoha…_"

"_**Wait!**_" cried Nanoha at Yuki Nagato, as if the faraway mention of her name by Lord Galus was enough to restore her to action, "Please let me do it, Yuki Nagato! I have to prove myself to Lord Galus and Master Nahato! Please let _me_ be the one to assassinate Itsuki Koizumi for them!"

"…Very well" replied Yuki Nagato after a tense pause, and searching Nanoha's eyes to see if they reflected the steely will of her voice, "It does not matter _to me_ how my objective is achieved; just that _it is_ achieved."

"That's it, Nanoha!" exclaimed a proud and beaming Nahato watching from afar, pumping his hands into tiny fists, "I knew that I made the right decision in making you the top Shadow Tribe Assassin!"

Nanoha, badly beaten and bruised, and with her lip busted open and seeping a small trickle of blood, began to stride determinedly over to the fallen body of Itsuki Koizumi, with her Raging Heart in tow. She then changed Raging Heart's setting to _solid projectile_, aimed it with one of her anesthetic poison darts, and pointed it at Itsuki. She was just about to discharge it when Itsuki began to come to, mildly aware of his predicament.

"No… please…" he managed weakly to her, "Don't do this… _Nanoha…_"

Nanoha hesitated ever so slightly over the sound of Koizumi's now gravelly voice.

"I can tell…" he continued, "That you are not… a killer… not in your heart of hearts…"

Nanoha now began to shake and tremble a bit, as Koizumi's words were cutting through to her.

"I want… the same thing that you do…" Itsuki continued, "I want _peace… _I want to be reunited with cherished friends… I want to please those under my care… there is another way than murder and violence to achieve that… I just _**know**_ that there is!"

Nanoha was now sobbing slightly… she couldn't kill Itsuki. She just couldn't do it. She couldn't bring herself to kill a human _so_ unlike her perception of the humans of El Hazard. She couldn't kill a peace-loving man who loved his friends… just like her dearest Alicia did.

"You are taking too long…" stated Yuki, after noticing that I had begun rising back to my feet, and while pushing Nanoha aside, and taking hold of her Raging Heart, "I will do it myself, then."

"_**N-no!**_" protested Nanoha, but with Yuki not taking heed of it this time.

Nanoha's involvement and hesitation here had bought us _priceless_ time. Sensei Fujisawa was back on his feet! With his veins coursing with righteous drive like never before, he _drove_ forward like a race car! He sprinted with astounding speed at Yuki Nagato, and leapt at her.

Yuki, at the same time, began to discharge one of Nanoha's poison darts…

"_**FUJISAWA KICK!!!**_" exclaimed Sensei Fujisawa in a thunderous voice, striking Yuki in the shoulder with a kick much like the one he had delivered to Nanoha earlier.

Now it was Yuki – yes, demon god Yuki Nagato – that had been sent careening wildly sideways! Fujisawa had actually struck down a demon god of El Hazard!

"_This is not good!_" exclaimed one of the Shadow Tribe's top scientists, as he was monitoring Yuki's vital signs and read outs, "That hit has caused _substantial_ damage to Yuki's internal configurations and schematics. It's… it's as though pistons are seizing up, and sparks are flying! That is the best analogy that I can use!"

"_**Damn!**_" exclaimed Nahato, pounding his fast down hard on the console station before him, "Nanoha… you will be _severely_ disciplined for this!"

"Yes, she will be…" added in Lord Galus, before making a smile, "But… Nahato… there is no need to be so outraged. Yuki Nagato's top objective has been realized! Sensei Fujisawa's strike came one second too late!"

The anesthetic poison dart had been shot directly into Itsuki's right arm, and had forced him into a comatose state. Sensei Fujisawa had, indeed, been one second too late…

"You're right!" exclaimed a joyous Nahato to his Lord Galus, "Yuki Nagato! Nanoha Inverse! Pull out… _now_! Eliminating Itsuki Koizumi is enough!"

"Agreed" stated Lord Galus with a smirk, "With the diplomat fallen, war is now ensured. With the diplomat fallen, Sensei Fujisawa and Masamichi Fujisawa will rush, in futile attempt, to save the live of Itsuki Koizumi!"

And with that, Yuki Nagato quickly took flight, while trying to ignore the pain in her shoulder. Nanoha Inverse, very sad and frowning, did the same. Sensei Fujisawa glared at the two of them as they rushed off into the reaches of the horizon. I… I became very emotional, I have to admit.

"_Itsuki!_" I cried, as I took notice of the poison dart in his arm, and pulled it out and threw it away.

"**Wake up, Itsuki!**" I shouted more loudly this time, as I gathered him up into my arms, and shook him slightly in an effort to wake him up.

He would not awake however… and that fact shook me to my core.

"_**NOOOOOOOO…!!!**_" I cried, both figuratively and literally, as tears actually poured forth from my eyes as I looked up, vainly I felt, at the heavens above.

My lost was Katsuhiko Jinnai's gain. My _scream_ would pave the way for his _laughter_. This day would be lost for myself… for Itsuki… for Sensei Fujisawa… for Makoto and his friends as they searched aimlessly amongst desolate regions for Yuki... and for the Alliance nations, as fear and trepidation began to spread throughout Roshtaria given the unfortunately leaked news that Afura Mann and Shayla Shayla had brought to Princess Rune Venus earlier that day.

But, the day would be won by the Shadow Tribe and the Bugrom Empire. Lord Galus had prevented Itsuki Koizumi from reaching Haruhi and Katsuhiko in time. Haruhi, with the diligent help of her Bugrom Empire, had already seen to the formation of a thousand SOS Brigade promotional boxes, including a wide assortment of items, most notably a SOS Brigade armband. Jinnai persuasively argued to Haruhi that a thousand such boxes would be satisfactory for the first day of _"Operation: Permanent Vacation"_ – the name he gave to his mission to absorb all of El Hazard into the SOS Brigade.

"We're going to send the Alliance on a _permanent vacation_!" he had exclaimed gleefully to Haruhi, "They're going to go on a permanent vacation to _the history books _of El Hazard, replaced forever more by the burgeoning power that is the SOS Brigade!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" laughed Haruhi, finding Jinnai's choice of words here quite amusing, "Yeah, this Alliance club is no match for my… no, _our…_ SOS Brigade, Katsuhiko! Like a vacation, we're going to bring some great joyous times to El Hazard!"

And with that, Haruhi and Jinnai laughed in unison… foretelling of what awaited El Hazard, and the country of Gagnon in particular, on the fifth morning of the presence of the SOS Brigade _of Earth_ upon El Hazard.

"_March on, my legions!_" shouted Katsuhiko Jinnai, pumping a fist into the air, and riding upon the back of the Red Comet, during the early hours of this fifth morning.

_Gigantic_ flags bearing the SOS symbol had been partitioned between various pairs of the _Voyager_ class of bugrom, as they all followed behind Jinnai and his Red Comet. Due to the thunderstorm weather conditions, Jinnai had successfully pleaded with Haruhi to spare him the full SOS Man outfit this day… such spandex would prove _quite_ vexing when drenched by rain, he argued. Hence, for this invasion of Gagnon, he was back in his usual student uniform, complete with the medals that Diva had given him. The only change was that he was wearing his SOS cape, draped over his student uniform.

"Today we take back what is rightfully ours!" Jinnai continued in oratory to his bugrom forces, while crackling lightning and pouring rain frequently framed his speech with an epic glistening shine, "Today we conquer Gagnon once more! Once we are within the central square of the capitol of Gagnon, we will declare to everybody within earshot that they are welcomed to join our SOS Brigade! The first thousand who do so will be given SOS Brigade promotional boxes! Everyone beyond that first thousand who are also willing to join will have their names wrote upon the large sheets of parchment we have brought with us; at a later date we will deliver _their_ SOS Brigade promotional boxes to them! But before your Queen's most daring plot to propagandizing the humans of El Hazard can commence, we must _crush_ the military of Gagnon! _Show them that the Bugrom Empire is __**back!**_ Show them no mercy! Show them that Haruhi Suzumiya and **Katsuhiko Jinnai** will _not_ be stopped! Bwa-ha-ha-Ha-Ah-Ha-**HAHA****HAHA**_**HAHA**_!!!"

To be continued…


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – The Conquests of Haruhi Suzumiya

"Kyon" stated Sensei Fujisawa as he turned around to face me while I was in the midst of a horrific emotional outburst, "You need to calm down for a second. Let me check Koizumi out. I'm trained in first aid and CPR!"

After taking a brief moment to compose myself, I capitulated to Sensei Fujisawa's advice. I was actually too shocked and dismayed to find fitting words to voice given the current situation that afflicted my fellow SOS Brigade memb... no, _my friends_ and I. Certainly, the SOS Brigade, and especially myself personally, had endured some tough scrapes before. Ryoko Asakura had tried to kill me, necessitating Nagato's rescuing of me; a dismally ironic memory given what Yuki had just done. Haruhi and I had found ourselves caught in some awful weather and falling off of shallow edges on rocky cliffs, while walking about the island villa that Itsuki had taken us too, forcing us to take shelter in a cave. And hell, there was even that dream which Haruhi and I both had which Itsuki and Yuki had argued could have seen _the entire universe_ rebooted like some sort of cheap corrupted computer hard drive. But _this_ felt different. _El Hazard_ felt different.

From its far from innocuous inception, the SOS Brigade at least had always been united. I hadn't really given it much thought before, but the five of us had become a real team; _a true brigade_, appropriately enough, in some ways. For all of the exasperating activities that Haruhi forced the rest of us through, and for all of the _discombobulating dumbfounding_ that many of my discussions with Itsuki, Mikuru, and Yuki had caused me, I had still grown close and even fond of my fellow SOS Brigade members, I had to admit. Now, however, Haruhi was aligned with an egomaniacal wannabe despot, Mikuru had been captured by _him_ as well, and Yuki… I could barely begin to fathom what had happened to Yuki. Oh, and Koizumi… Koizumi might be _dead_. The very thought chilled me to the bone, and made my already dark thoughts grow even more bleak and gloomy.

The reassuring presence of Sensei Fujisawa was the one strand; the one necessary tether that kept my mind secure from tumbling into an engrossing melancholy from which I might have never returned…

"_Phew…_" stated Sensei Fujisawa, as he placed his fingers on one of Koizumi's wrists, "At least he has a pulse. It's awfully low, though. Kyon… we're going to need to call off the mission to help out your friends Haruhi and Mikuru for now. We need to rush Koizumi to the best medical facilities that El Hazard has, and we need to do it right away! We're heading to Florestica in Roshtaria!"

I gingerly nodded in agreement, as I still felt clogged within a deep engulfing malaise, as well as numb. However, a moment later, a careful consideration crossed my mind, prompting me to give voice to it.

"Wait!" I shouted to Sensei Fujisawa, "How are we going to get to Florestica? The Peacemaker craft has been ripped into shreds and pieces of molten shrapnel. And to get to Florestica from here on foot would be a hazardously long trek for us! Itsuki is going to need attention faster than _that_!"

"You're right, Kyon" answered Sensei Fujisawa, "That's why the two of us are going to have to very carefully work together to piece the Peacemaker back together! I know enough about mechanics to know what parts should go where, and in which ways! I'm going to tell you exactly how to fashion the Peacemaker back together, and you'll need to use your magnetic powers to do it!"

I breathed a short nervous sigh over this. It seemed like an overly onerous task to me. But, for Koizumi's sake, I would give it a shot all the same.

"Ok, Sensei Fujisawa…" I began in strong reply, trying to firm myself for this immensely laborious task, "Let's give it a try!"

Thankfully, the two of us working together would succeed in piecing the Peacemaker craft back together in about thirty minutes of work. Sensei Fujisawa checked Itsuki's pulse again after that, thankfully still finding one there, albeit ever so slightly weaker than before. Sensei Fujisawa noted to me that it was odd for the Shadow Tribe's poisons to take so long to kill their intended victim. He could only surmise that Koizumi's esper form had given him some sort of added resiliency against the lethal drug; we theorized that it worked as a sort of back up immune system that flooded Koizumi's body with metaphysical antibodies to combat the otherwise impairing poison. Still, we couldn't count on Koizumi's esper form to keep him alive forever, and hence we flew straight to Florestica, even through the dark hours of the night, before arriving there early on the bright morning of the SOS Brigade's fifth morning on El Hazard.

During the journey, I must admit that I spoke little to Sensei Fujisawa, although he tried his best to hearten me with his typical fortitude and optimism, infused with the sincerely caring soul that exuded them. I was simply in no mood to talk, wanting instead to get lost in my thoughts. I very much would have liked to have _slept_, thinking that any _dream_ would ironically be a welcomed respite from the nightmare that _reality _had become. Still, the crispness of the night air combined with what I could only call a humming silence kept me both awake and alert. Additionally, my concerns over Haruhi… over Mikuru… over Yuki… and over Itsuki were just collectively too much for me to quiet my mind sufficiently for sleep. My mind felt boxed in by a canopied square of depressing images, one side of the square for each of my four fellow SOS Brigade members.

We finally arrived at our destination during the rising dawn. Florestica, I have to concede, was both resplendent and exquisitely sublime. Its architectural features managed to achieve the perfect balance between elegance, dignified appearance and imposing structure. Mind you, as bleary and bushed as I was after a sleepless night of apprehensive travel by air, I could only grant a couple moments of appreciation for the majesty of Florestica before a great longing for _rest_ began to consume my thoughts once more. Thankfully, the Priestesses Shayla Shayla and Afura Mann would soon take notice of that after greeting Sensei Fujisawa, Itsuki, and I as we landed the Peacemaker upon the marble royal courtyard enhanced by lush greenery all about it.

"Sensei Fujisawa!" exclaimed Shayla Shayla, as her and Afura rushed over to greet us, as they had decided to take in the morning sunrise in order to bring peace to their minds given recent concerns and troubles, "It's about flaming time that you finally got back here! Did Miz meet up with you? Did you find any of Kyon and Koizumi's missing friends? And… why aren't Makoto or any of the others with you?"

"It's… a rather _long_ story… ha ha ha" answered Masamichi Fujisawa while rubbing one hand over his head, and chuckling nervously a bit.

"_Shayla!_" shouted Afura Mann in a tone of displeasure to her fellow Priestess of Mount Muldoon, "Don't you realize how tired Sensei Fujisawa and Kyon are, given that they must have flown overnight? This is no time to be **interrogating** them. Why, Koizumi appears to have already passed out!"

"It's worse than that, I'm afraid." I managed to say, "Koizumi… Koizumi was poisoned by a powerful assailant. That's why we rushed here to Florestica as fast as we could."

"Yeah" added in Masamichi, wanting to clarify the situation a bit further, "From what I gathered from a conversation that Kyon had with that powerful assailant, it sounds as though the Shadow Tribe, including _**even Galus**_, may be problems again for us!"

Afura and Shayla looked completely flabbergasted by this. After a tense pause, though, Afura took it upon herself to help Sensei Fujisawa drag Koizumi inside, and to be evaluated by Dr. Schtalubaugh as soon as possible. Shayla Shayla began furiously questioning Sensei Fujisawa over what had happened, but I was too tired to take much attention to it. So, on this fifth morning of the SOS Brigade of Earth's presence on El Hazard, I would finally be afforded comfortable lodging for sleep by a bearded attendant named Londs. However, while I rested, a far worse fate would befall the El Hazard nation of Gannan.

The entire country of Gannan would fall in _one frightful day_ of warfare. Borrowing from the military tactics of Napoleon Bonaparte, while adding his own personal flare of multifaceted layered combat and added psychological warfare to them, Katsuhiko Jinnai pieced together a cruelly efficient conquest of Gannan. Jinnai had divided his accompanying forces into seven divisions, five of which were basic ground forces, one being a siege unit armed with makeshift catapults and trebuchets, and a seventh being air support.

Four of the five ground forces impeccably enacted Napoleon's _Manoeuvre De Derrière, _as Jinnai placed them across the Gannan military's main lines of communications. This enabled him to quickly isolate each regional corner of Gannan from the other three, _carving_ all four into more easily digestible portions, in Jinnai's cold calculating assessment of things. The three remaining bugrom divisions would then forge a carefully coordinated _combined arms _assault that included an emphasis on numerical superiority and speed, mildly reflecting the tactics of Genghis Khan.

Finally, roughly two thirds of each of the seven divisions would then converge in the _ultimate_ pincher maneuver around the capitol of Gannan. Jinnai had come prepared with contingency plans, but found them _utterly_ unnecessary as Haruhi's 'special training' had led the bugrom to become an _even more_ fearsome fighting force than they had been at their very height in the recent history of El Hazard. Furthermore, the bugrom were eager to once more prove their worth in battle, and to quickly gain a positive first impression with their new Queen, Haruhi Suzumiya. The bugrom, hence, startled even Jinnai himself in how quickly they overwhelmed the soldiers, and more resistant civilians, of Gannan.

Mind you, no nation had engaged in, or endured, the depredations of war more in recent decades than the country of Gannan. Furthermore, the miraculously revived Bugrom Empire was decidedly _not_ something that they had been prepared for, or had any reason to be. Unadulterated _terror_ gripped the hearts of most of the people of Gannan _this_ day, as it all seemed like an apocalyptic nightmare to them.

Still, and in complete fairness, Jinnai _did_ try to keep the actual number of casualties to a minimum on both sides; this invasion differed from his original one of Gannan in the Queen Diva era in that it did not make use of any sort of deliberate _scorched earth_ strategy. This was to be Haruhi Suzumiya's conquest as well, in Jinnai's mind, and she wanted SOS Brigade _converts_, presumably not _dead bodies_. Still, there were _some_ tragic casualties of war this day, inevitable given the nature of bloody conflict. There were also, of course, the ill-gained spoils of war…

"We're ba_aa__**ack**_!!!" exclaimed Katsuhiko Jinnai playfully, as he jittered pass the burgundy walls and over the silvery polished patterned tiles of the corridors of the Imperial Parliament building of Gannan, and into its _enormously_ spacious Senate Hall, followed closely behind by a few of his top bugrom soldiers.

Like a kid in a candy store, Jinnai started gazing about the impressive interior décor of this building of great cultural and political import to Gannan.

"_Ha ha ha ha ha ha…!_" he laughed, being greatly amused by the total emptiness of the exalted surroundings in spite of its hundreds of finely designed benches, lengthy tables, and lone majestic throne for the Chancellor, "The country of Gihren Zala himself has fallen _once more_ to Lord God Jinnai! So terrified were the senators of Gannan at my coming that they didn't even bother to stay here to greet me. _**Ha!**_ _Gummo_, is the entire capitol firmly in our grasp now?"

"Yes Katsuhiko!"answered Gummo enthusiastically, "We have achieved complete ground control of the entire city!"

"Excellent!" responded Jinnai, pumping a fist, "Then in _one day_, I have brought an entire country _to its knees_ in servitude to the SOS Brigade!"

"Well, boss…" began Gummo in respectful correction, "We haven't actually _propagandized_ anybody yet, based on what you told me that term met…"

"Good point, Gummo!" replied Jinnai, giving credit where credit was due, "It's been a long day; a _glorious_ day, mind you, but still a _long_ one as well; so we'll begin enticing, and _coercing_ if need be, the citizens of Gannon into joining the SOS Brigade in the morning. For now, have about a hundred bugrom begin unfurling our specially made giant posters of the SOS Brigade symbol, and of Queen Haruhi's face, over the edges and sides of the tallest buildings here in the capitol! That'll serve as the perfect backdrop for our SOS Brigade promotions tomorrow!"

"As you command Katsuhiko!" exclaimed Gummo in response, saluting his Lord and friend, "The imposing irresistible face of our Queen will soon be all about Gannon!"

"Now, Chico…" stated Jinnai, turning about to address another one of his inner round table of bugrom knights, "We never really bothered to loot much of the government coffers and royal holdings of Gannan when we conquered this country before, but this time, I think that having such valuables could prove useful in enticing people to join the SOS Brigade tomorrow! So, take your own contingent of a hundred bugrom, and begin raiding this city for anything that you see that looks like it might have monetary worth!"

"No jewel or gem or anything shiny or used for bartering will be left untaken, boss!" shouted Chico in turn, "Bugrom Empire wealth will grow greatly today!"

"It already has!" interjected Groucho, as he had actually decided on his own to briefly break off from the rest of his boss' forces to find a particular item that he wanted.

"Oh?" piped up Jinnai in intrigued question, as he turned to face Groucho with a hungry grin plastered across his face, "What have you found, Groucho?!"

"I have the perfect gift for you to give to Queen Haruhi, boss!" he exclaimed in turn, before handing it over to Katsuhiko.

"_**A-a necklace?!**_" exclaimed a perplexed Jinnai, "I could perhaps see a big honkin' wand or scepter… but a _necklace_?! What possible use could a cunning conqueror like Haruhi Suzumiya, the new Bugrom Queen no less, have for such an impractical trinket?"

Groucho was about to chastise his 'best bud' for not having a clue about females… but instead, he decided that a different tact might prove more effective here.

"Boss…" began Groucho in explanation, "Queen Haruhi has been working really hard and tirelessly for all of us! I can tell that she hates not being able to explore El Hazard more thoroughly, and that she's making that sacrifice to be the best Bugrom Queen that she can be! I'm… worried about her _morale_, boss, as you might say. She seems to like anything the least bit exotic or _alien_ to her and this necklace is made out of metals that only exist on El Hazard! She'll _love_ it boss, and it would really cheer her up!"

"Hhhmmmm…" mused Jinnai, cupping his face with his hand while dwelling on the Groucho's reasoning here, "Yes… I suppose that you might have a point, Groucho. Still, in order for that trinket to have any lasting value, I order you to engrave the letters '_**S O S**_' into its largest central stone. At least _then_ it'll serve as an identification accessory!"

"No problem, boss!" exclaimed a gratified Groucho in turn, "That'll make this gift from you to Haruhi _even better_!"

Groucho, through being Jinnai's most trusted bugrom soldier, had been the bugrom to benefit the most from exposure to the philosophies, thinking, and understanding of Earth humans. In a sense, you could even say that Groucho was the most _evolved_ of the bugrom; the one most capable of independent thought and action. In _some_ ways, he had amazingly become more perceptive than Jinnai himself was, evidenced by how he had actually tricked his 'boss' into eventually making what would unwittingly come across to Haruhi as a _romantic_ gesture. Right now, however, romance was the furthest thing from Haruhi's mind, as she was thoroughly energized by the sight of the rebuild _**Hive**_ royal hall of the Bugrom Queen.

This room was an _exact replica_ of Queen Diva's royal hall in the former Bugrom Hive, right down to the oval crevice bore into the floor, and the stalagmite chandelier hanging from the roof, and the pinkish and purplish hues that shimmered throughout, and the slight crystalline staircase leading up to the Queen's throne. The entire scene was enough to bring rhapsodic rejoicing on the part of Haruhi Suzumiya. Racing jubilantly into the hall, Haruhi theatrically turned her body about ninety degrees and outstretched her arms as though she was trying to hug the entire room! A smile of pure bliss was on her face.

"This is the niftiest and most phenomenal room that I've ever seen!" exclaimed Haruhi, as she actually pranced around it, "_He he he he!!!_"

"This room _really is_ pretty cool and charming!" shouted a happy Mikuru Asahina in turn, here along with Haruhi to take in the sight, as Haruhi had decided to give her a brief break from cleaning duties for the occasion.

"Isn't it just _divine_, Mikuru!" exclaimed Haruhi, taking impassioned hold of her friend's hands with her own, "And just look at that rainbow reflecting crystalline chair of a throne over there! It has that lovely lattice all around it too! _Wow…_ the lattice itself has those bodacious bonsai trees on it too! Let's go take turns sitting in that throne, Mikuru!"

Haruhi and Mikuru hence rushed up to Queen Diva's old throne, taking turns sitting in, running around it, hopping up and down on it, and basically acting _half their age_. Their juvenile behavior had not escaped the notice of the bugrom Margaret or of former Queen Diva, who had accompanied Haruhi and Mikuru for this introduction to the most recently reconstructed portion of the former Bugrom Hive.

"Queen Haruhi, and our… _moe mascot…_ really seem to like it, Diva!" stated Margaret, "They might like it _a bit too much_, if anything."

"In complete honesty, Margaret…" began Diva in reply, as she took in the scene of the giggling Haruhi and Mikuru playing around a replica of what used to be _her_ royal throne, "I must confess that my earliest recollections of gazing about this royal hall included similar jubilance on my part, as well."

"I guess that it's only natural for us females, bugrom and human alike, to appreciate such beauty" stated Margaret in response.

"Indeed" replied Diva, "Mr. Jinnai has always had a _subtle_ appreciation for grand palatial design, but he certainly doesn't _chew the scenery_ quite like Miss Suzumiya does!"

"_**Diva!**_" shouted Haruhi, as she rushed back over to talk to her, "Please express my gratitude to Chico and his building team for getting this ravishing royal hall reconstructed _so quickly_, once he gets back here from Gannan along with Katsuhiko!"

"I will make sure to do that, Miss Suzumiya" responded Diva with a modest smile, "However, knowing Mr. Jinnai as I do, I suspect he will be back with news of success within but a day or two. So, it's important that we go over what you're to say once that happens!"

"What Haruhi has to say?" asked a startled Mikuru, stunned to see _Haruhi_ taking instructions for a change.

"That's right, Mikuru!" shouted Haruhi, "From what Diva told me, the Bugrom Queen has to perform a ceremonial congratulations for the Supreme Commander in a very precise manner. Think of it as a really important scene in one of or SOS movie productions!"

"I-I don't have to go around fighting Yuki again, do I?" asked a nervous Mikuru, remembering what the making of the _last_ SOS Brigade movie production was like.

"_No silly...!_" stated Haruhi, "For one thing, there is no fighting involved in me awarding a medal to Katsuhiko. And for another thing … Yuki isn't here."

"Yeah…" replied Mikuru a bit saddened by that fact.

"Well…" responded Haruhi, sharing Mikuru's feelings here, "I miss Yuki, Kyon, and Koizumi too. However, Katsuhiko told me that by going ahead right away with _Operation: Permanent Vacation_ that we would be able to kill two birds with one stone. In other words, while he's going around getting everybody in El Hazard to join the SOS Brigade, he's _bound_ to run into Yuki, Kyon, and Koizumi somewhere along the way! I just _know_ that we can count on him, Mikuru! He hasn't let me down yet! So… don't get all sad and droopy eyed on me, Ok?"

"Ok!" replied Mikuru cheerfully, as Haruhi's words had been successful in having their desired effect, "Katsuhiko _does_ seem like a nice and sweet guy… as much as that helmet you gave him gives me the shivers. So… yeah, I'm sure we won't be without Yuki for much longer!"

What Haruhi and Mikuru didn't know, however, was how an _invisible_ Yuki, after having had the damage done to her by Sensei Fujisawa repaired by Shadow Tribe engineers, was back in her role of keeping close tabs on Haruhi. This mirthful moment between Haruhi and Mikuru had raised yet more fragments of lost memory into Yuki's uncommon mind. Very slight _doubt_ began to creep ever so provisionally into Yuki's thoughts. Logically, she began to suspect that there had to be _something_ sincere and real about what Haruhi, Mikuru, Itsuki, and myself had all said about her. Logically, Nahato was having concerns that Yuki might add two and two together as well…

"With Mikuru Asahina now reunited with Haruhi Suzumiya…" he began in question to Lord Galus, "And with them talking about Yuki the way that they are… and with Kyon and Koizumi having talked about Yuki _to_ Yuki the way that they did… I'm a bit fearful that our conveniently amnesiac Demon God may start to _figure things out_ even _with out_ her memory restored, Lord Galus!"

"You're concerns are well stated, Nahato" stated Lord Galus in reply, "However, I am frankly more concerned with _Nanoha_ than I am with Yuki."

"Nanoha has been disciplined, sire." responded Nahato, "She has been reassigned to bothersome menial tasks here in our principle headquarters for the next seventy two hours. We also performed a thorough medical and psychological evaluation on her to try to determine a means by which we can turn her into a more reliable assassin".

"Let's hope that your efforts pan out, Nahato" replied Lord Galus, "As for Yuki Nagato, then… yes, we need to find a way to move events more quickly along towards the final realization of our plans, to ensure that they are realized before Yuki might rebel against us. Hhhmmm… leaking altered or selective information to the Bugrom Empire has proved useful in the past. Perhaps doing so again would be helpful here."

"What are you planning there, Lord Galus?" asked Nahato, "Is it something that I can help with?"

"Yes, Nahato" answered Lord Galus with a smile, "I believe that it is. First, however, what information do we have on the Makoto Mizuhara contingent?"

"Their search is _pointless_, of course, as Yuki is already under our control" replied Nahato, "Also, sire, our base is currently concealed by our phantom technology. There is no chance of Makoto Mizuhara, Nanami Jinnai, Alielle, and Priestess Miz Mishtal finding us even though their search area _does_ include us within it. Still, Lord Galus, with your added cybernetic power and strength, I'm confidant that you could _crush_ these four interlopers if you attempted to do so. Why not take _revenge_ upon them, as two of them were instrumental in our last defeat, and even in your temporary death?!"

"Makoto Mizuhara's mastery over El Hazard technology may extend to even my partly cybernetic body" answered Lord Galus, "And Nanami Jinnai can see through our _innate_ disguises and illusions. The risk is simply too great, Nahato. However, please continue monitoring them until they give up their search efforts. After that, I have a very important mission for you."

It was truly a meaningless mission, and a thankless task, that Makoto Mizuhara and his search team were currently involved in however. They had now spent roughly a day and a half of searching through some of the northern most regions of the entire world of El Hazard. Bitter cold had forced them to wear large woolen overcoats and hoods over their regular attire, which displeased Alielle since it made Makoto look less like Princess Fatora. While Princess Fatora was actually being well fed and looked after by the bugrom Zeppo, this was not known by Alielle, and likely wouldn't have assuaged her concerns over Fatora anyway. While walking upon unforgiving icy slopes of snow and tundra, with biting winds rasping across their faces, serious debate began over whether or not to continue their search.

"_Sigh_" stated Nanami, as she was clutching her overcoat tight to her body while quivering from the chilly weather, "I… I think that we should head back, Makoto."

"_**H-head back?!**_" replied Makoto in stunned question, shocked to hear Nanami's suggestion, "But Nanami, we haven't found Yuki Nagato, Mikuru Asahina, or Haruhi Suzumiya yet!"

"Yeah!" quickly added in Alielle, "And we haven't found _**~Fatora~**_ either!"

"Look… I hate to be insensitive, but…" began Nanami, "If Yuki Nagato or Haruhi Suzumiya arrived in this _wintery wasteland_ wearing anything less than what _we're_ wearing now, she would have quickly been frozen solid! There's simply _no way_ that she could have travelled anywhere farther from the initial spatial anomaly point than what we have already painstakingly searched."

"So, what are you saying, Nanami?" asked Makoto in turn, "That… Yuki or Haruhi just disappeared into thin air? A frozen solid in ice person would have been noticed by us, after all!"

"I'm not saying that anybody simply disappeared, Makoto… but maybe that stinking brother of mine has already got to both of them!" answered Nanami, "And clearly… him and the bugrom _aren't here_!"

"Ok" responded Makoto, "I'll concede that point to you, Nanami. _So… _Mikuru, at least, isn't here. Fair enough. That doesn't mean that Yuki or Haruhi aren't here though!"

"Listen, Makoto…" replied Nanami a bit more forcefully, "I have a theory now that I've been thinking over for awhile, and I want you to hear me out on it!"

"I'm all ears, Nanami" responded Makoto, "Well I am as long as they don't _freeze off_ on me, anyway. So… go ahead."

"Here's what I think" began Nanami in explanation, "The spatial anomaly that Sensei Fujisawa, Kyon, and Koizumi went to is probably near, or where, my brother is. Haruhi Suzumiya arrived in _that_ spatial anomaly, I'm almost certain of now. There, Katsuhiko ran into her, and _somehow_ the two actually became friends. That would fit with what Katsuhiko said to you when he made that spineless sneak attack against you back in the forests of Canbia!"

"_Not this again, Nanami!_" whined Makoto in turn.

"_Please_, Makoto, just let me finish, Ok?" asked Nanami in turn, confident that she could change Makoto's thinking here if he would only let her complete her point.

"_Sigh… _Ok, I'll consider what you have to say, Nanami" answered Makoto.

"_**Good!**_" responded Nanami, before continuing, "Look, I'm not necessarily saying that Haruhi is some bad person or anybody that would actually like someone like Katsuhiko, alright? Katsuhiko can be a really slime ball conniver, and so maybe he _fooled_ Haruhi into thinking that he was actually one of_ the good guys _here on El Hazard. To prove his supposed good intentions to Haruhi, he offered to retrieve all of her fellow missing SOS Brigade members! Hence, him and the bugrom grabbing Mikuru! And maybe he came here earlier, and grabbed a frozen Yuki Nagato too! Maybe _all_ of the SOS Brigade members and Fatora as well, are where Sensei Fujisawa headed off to!"

"Then we need to head over there _on the double_!" piped up Alielle, having listened in closely to the conversation between Makoto and Nanami.

"No." interjected Miz Mishtal, "If Nanami is right… and her theory sounds good to me… than Masamichi probably arrived long ago at the spatial anomaly point that he went after. By now… he's probably managed to _thwart_ Katsuhiko Jinnai, let Haruhi in on the truth about him, and rescued everybody that needed saving! I have no doubt that my Masamichi could get that done all by his lonesome!"

"_Yeah…_" added in Makoto Mizuhara, after meditating on everything that Nanami and Miz Mishtal had said, "You and Nanami are both probably right. _It makes sense…_ it fits altogether perfectly! And I just know that Sensei Fujisawa, _especially_ with Kyon and Koizumi with their new found powers helping him out, were more than what _Jinnai_ and the bugrom could handle! So… they probably headed back to Florestica, and are waiting for us there!"

"**Right!**" chimed in Nanami, "So we should head back there too!"

"_Wait!_" interjected Alielle, "But… but this is all guesswork that we're doing here! We don't know _any_ of this for certain. ~_**Fatora~**_ may still be in danger!"

"You could be right, Alielle" responded Makoto, "But, unfortunately, we're working off of very limited knowledge here, and have to speculate a little bit. At the very least, I'm inclined to think that continuing to search around here is going to be pointless. And I have _faith_ in Sensei Fujisawa. And Kyon saved me from Katsuhiko back in Canbia; Kyon is dependable too! So… if nobody is at _this_ spatial anomaly point, then they must have all been at the one remaining one, and Sensei Fujisawa and his team could take care of things there! In fact… by now, everybody is probably back in Florestica worried sick about us!"

"_~But what if they're not?!~_" asked Alielle.

"If they're not, and if we discover that, _then_ we'll head out to the spatial anomaly point that Masamichi went to" answered Miz Mishtal, "But… Makoto and I are right, Alielle. Sensei Fujisawa is the most reliable man that I know. He even handled the super bugrom single handedly, remember? So, there are _way_ better odds of him having defeated Jinnai than there is of Jinnai having defeated him!"

"O-Ok…" Alielle stated, finally relenting, and seeing the logic and rationale behind everybody's points, "I really hope that you're all right!"

Makoto, Nanami, and Miz Mishtal were all _somewhat_ right, their deductions made erroneous largely by their unawareness of the involvement of the Shadow Tribe, and by Yuki Nagato having become a demon god of El Hazard under their control. Nor were they aware then, of course, of the abominable crisis that Itsuki Koizumi was currently in. While I dozed and slept through most of this fifth day on El Hazard, the team of Dr. Schtalubaugh, some of Dr. Schtalubaugh's top medical students, and Masamichi Fujisawa worked diligently to try to resolve that crisis.

"How's it going, Doc?" asked Sensei Fujisawa, of Dr. Schtalubaugh, and in reference to his efforts to cure Itsuki Koizumi, while several people had gathered around the operating table and Koizumi was currently on.

"Well… we have managed to gather a great deal of essential insight into the poison that currently courses through this young lad's veins" answered Dr. Schtalubaugh.

"What is it that you have learned about the poison, Dean Schtalubaugh?" asked Afura Mann.

"Yeah!" quickly added in Shayla Shayla, "I want to know just how putrid this poison is, so I can know how far I should go in giving that heartless Shadow Tribe a taste of their own medicine!"

"Give me a minute to explain" responded Dr. Schtalubaugh, "After taking a blood sample from this newcomer to El Hazard, I then proceeded to _distill_ the poison out of it. Next, I ran several scans and tests on that poison. What I have concluded from the readings and results thereof is that the poison, by all rights, should have _killed_ this afflicted man of Earth a mere thirty minutes after it had entered into his blood stream! However, this young man apparently has a most _fantastic_ and fascinating power, gifting him with a most curious reserves immune system that has served to immensely mitigate the effects of the poison!"

"That's great news!" exclaimed Sensei Fujisawa, appearing very heartened by it, "So, he's going to pull through then, Doc?"

"Well… perhaps _mitigate_ was too strong a word…" began Dr. Schtalubaugh in answer, "_Delay_ may have been a more precise term to use here. I would estimate that it has caused the_ lethal_ aspect of the poison, which I hasten to distinguish from its abundant anesthetic aspect, to be slowed by a sizable factor. I would estimate that the poison's full lethal effects will not run their course for… approximately six days."

Sensei Fujisawa, Afura Mann, and Shayla Shayla took about half a minute to fully digest this information, and what it precisely meant.

"So…" began Afura Mann, thoughtfully, "That means we have six days to find a cure to the poison, and inject it into Itsuki Koizumi's blood stream."

"Correct" responded Dr. Schtalubaugh, "And… unfortunately… we have no such cure readily available to us, and, worse of all, I'm not aware of any such cure. I have never encountered a poison like this one before!"

This was truly _dire_ news for everybody in the room, causing Sensei Fujisawa to swallow uneasily, Afura Mann to look petrified, and Shayla Shayla to become increasingly enraged in her appearance.

"_**That savage slaughtering Shadow Tribe!**_" exclaimed Shayla Shayla, with the veins on her forehead throbbing, "I'm going to _roast_ every last one of them until they squeal like pigs!"

"That will do Itsuki Koizumi no good, Shayla…" chimed in Afura Mann, "What we need here is a cure! We _must_ find one, Dr. Schtalubaugh!"

"I know, good Priestess" responded Dr. Schtalubaugh, "That is why I will begin to research my voluminous library of books and resource material for any possible cure for the disease!"

"I'll help you with that!" exclaimed Sensei Fujisawa, "I'm not letting this fine young student die on _my_ watch! Let's go!"

After awaking from my sleep in the late evening, I would learn of exactly what Dr. Schtalubaugh had disclosed here. Hence, I too, would join Sensei Fujisawa and Dr. Schtalubaugh in an exhaustive search for a cure to the poison that threatened to kill Itsuki. The increasingly intense incidents of El Hazard continued to weigh heavily on me, but, worse of all, Itsuki's very life now hung in the balance. My skepticism had, in one painful way, been continually reinforced since Haruhi had marched us to the Jinnai ruins, ultimately leading to the ruins of Gannan being held in the hands of Jinnai. I continued to wonder just what would befall the SOS Brigade next…

To be continued…


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – The Fame of Haruhi Suzumiya

For untold millennia, the identity and nature of the Queen of the Bugrom Empire had been shrouded in mystery, which no doubt helped to contribute to a sense of mutual fear and antipathy between the humans and bugrom of El Hazard. In _my_ opinion, it's not good for an influential and powerful leader to stay hidden out of the public eye all of the time, leaving rumor and tall tales to define him or her. While I certainly don't envy the loss of independence and privacy that such leaders must endure, I nonetheless feel that it is the cost that should be paid for choosing to be a powerful ruler in the first place. The natural cost of fame and fortune is, in fact, a reduction of freedom and privacy; hence why I hope that I'm _never_ famous, although fortune _alone_ I would have a hard time rejecting.

Of all of the Bugrom Queens that came before Haruhi, only Diva's mother had even been seen by the humans of El Hazard, and then only due to her sincere attempts to negotiate peace with the human nations of El Hazard. However, the SOS Brigade propaganda strategies of Katsuhiko Jinnai had now _dramatically_ changed the image and perception of the Bugrom Queen throughout El Hazard.

Haruhi Suzumiya's face was now all about the country of Gannon, and particularly in its capitol city of Torlin. There's little doubt that Haruhi would _love_ all of this attention, reveling in the anticipated adulation thereof, if she was fully cognizant of it. Her image was the talk of Gannon, as bewilderment and wonderment over getting to see the face of the Queen of the Bugrom Empire was felt by the human survivors of Jinnai's latest conquest of Gannon. As for Jinnai himself, he made a most jarring change from _ruthless_ _warlord_ on one day, to virtual _door-to-door salesperson_ the next, as he intoned people to come join the SOS Brigade with the same sort of presentation and tone that a marketer trying to promote new cleaning products out on the street would use.

The adults of Gannon were _stunned_ by this, and weren't quite sure what to make of it. Some found it to be adding ultimate insult to injury, and hence shouted obscenities or threw rotten fruits and stones at Jinnai and the bugrom that were with him. These hecklers were quickly subdued by the bugrom, however, which eventually lead to less outraged adults making more carefully deliberated decisions on how to respond to the promotions of the Bugrom Empire. The youngest of the kids of Gannon, for their part, were _the first_ to gingerly approach Jinnai's little promotional set up, and tentatively grab SOS Brigade promotional boxes from the bugrom that were passing them out.

These kids, by and large, were very pleased by what they found in them. Each promotional box contained a red SOS Brigade arm band, a flashlight, a small eight inch tall _SOS Man_ figurine, a compass, a first aid kid, a SOS Brigade membership card, and a special SOS Brigade pamphlet defining what the SOS Brigade is and stood for. Words could barely describe how dazzled and delighted the youth of Gannon were over this wondrous package of playful items that were completely alien to them. Aside from those who had actually lost loved ones in the previous day of warfare, the people of Gannon quickly became flabbergasted over this SOS Brigade, over this mysterious though revealed Bugrom Queen Haruhi Suzumiya, and even over the _changed_ Katsuhiko Jinnai.

Had the Bugrom Empire _itself_ changed? What did it hope to accomplish with this SOS Brigade that it promoted, and wanted people to join? How could you have vicious warfare one day, and smooth peaceful promotion the next? Mind you, the looted valuables that Jinnai eventually started offering to get the citizens of Gannon to join the SOS Brigade quickly made many shrug their shoulders and put aside the warfare of the previous day. Many, in effect, simply said or thought, "If we can't beat them, we might as well join them."

Therefore, Katsuhiko Jinnai would actually find enough takers to pass out all of the thousand SOS Brigade promotional boxes. On top of that, an even larger number of signatories to join the SOS Brigade were collected this day. It was _total_ domination; much of what was left standing of Gannon had actually been bought, bribed, and conned off. Stealing their valuables and then enticing people to join the SOS Brigade through offering them in return for signing up; yeah, Jinnai's plan would have made Haruhi blush. It would take a full day for Jinnai to accomplish that however, meaning that he would not be leaving to return to the Bugrom fortress until early on the morning of the SOS Brigade's _seventh_ day in El Hazard.

While Gannon was the setting for SOS Brigade promotions, far less frivolous activities concerned Sensei Fujisawa, Dr. Schtalubaugh, Afura Mann, and I as we hurriedly read and skimmed through Dr. Schtalubaugh's expansive collection of books. Shayla Shayla never had it in her to flip through the pages of so many dry technical manuals, and hence she decided to spend her day practicing her Priestess powers, preparing herself for future battles against the Bugrom Empire and the Shadow Tribe. Eventually, I came across a description of a very unique medicine of sorts; a placebo of an elixir that promised to cure anything and everything that ailed you. I found this to be _eminently_ too good to be true, though I also felt that _every_ avenue, even the most fanciful of them, should be explored in trying to cure Itsuki. Dr. Schtalubaugh agreed.

"_Aspiruction_" stated Dr. Schtalubaugh, as he read over the entry for the particular elixir that I had found, "Well… it's a very mild drug with a myriad of uses. I doubt it is what we are looking for. Still… it is a very benign drug, with no worrisome side effects. I see no harm in at least giving it a try. Do you concur, Sensei Fujisawa and Afura Mann?"

"Sounds like one of those funky drugs that they try to sell during the middle of the night during thirty minute commercials" answered Sensei Fujisawa, with a decidedly skeptical tone, "But… I guess that it can't hurt to give it a shot at least."

"Agreed" stated Afura Mann, "It's possible that the Shadow Tribe knows that this drug is the cure to their poisons, but also that natural human skepticism over such a drug would stop us from using it, hence making their poisons more likely to succeed. Well, I say we should call them on that possible bluff! Also, it would be _perfect_ if Kyon ends up being the one to find the cure to Koizumi's current impaired state."

"Thanks for the support, everyone" I said with a slight smile, "In all of our hours of research, this is the _only_ possible solution that we have found so far, so we _have_ to at least test it out!"

And with that, Dr. Schtalubaugh placed in an order for Aspiruction, and prepared to inject it into Itsuki with a needle. While such serious efforts concerned the Dean of Roshtaria's royal academy, Haruhi was up to her usual compelled merrymaking.

"_**There!**_" she shouted, after making a key adjustment to a particular outfit that had caught her eye upon happening to come across it earlier that same day, "Now, it's all ready for _you_ to try on, Mikuru!"

"A-are you sure t-that it's Ok, Haruhi?" asked an apprehensive Mikuru in turn, "T-this is Katsuhiko's _bugrom armor_ after all! I don't think he's going to appreciate you enlarging the chest part of it to make room f-for me!"

"Oh, don't be such a worry-wart, Mikuru!" replied Haruhi in turn, "Katsuhiko now has the _SOS Man_ costume to wear, so what use would he have for his bugrom armor now? It'll be put to _much_ better use as an outfit for the moe mascot of the Bugrom Empire! It's practically _a rule_ that such a moe mascot should have at least _one_ outfit that makes her look like a bugrom!"

"W-well, I actually kind of like that _other_ strange outfit that you made for me better" stated Mikuru, as she began to point daintily at a black and grey top with blue trim and large shoulder pads, with red pants and one green kneepad of sorts.

_That_ costume had been Haruhi's attempt to capture the look of Ifurita, based on what Margaret had told her that Ifurita looked like. Haruhi preferred red to purple, and hence changed the color of the pants, leaving most of the rest the same according to Margaret's description of it.

"I've already seen you in the Ifurita costume, Mikuru!" exclaimed Haruhi, "_Now_ it's time for you to become the _definitive Bugrom girl_! Knowing you as I do, I guess I'm just going to have to _force_ you into it."

"_**Noooo!!!!**_" cried a tearful Mikuru, as Haruhi started to forcibly undress her, with Jinnai's altered bugrom armor standing at the ready to be plopped on top of Mikuru.

Diva and Margaret spied the scene from afar, and even _they_ found it more than a bit disturbing, much as I'm sure I myself would have if I had been there. Instead though, I, along with Afura Mann and Sensei Fujisawa, was watching over Dr. Schtalubaugh administer some Aspiruction to Itsuki Koizumi by needle. Unbeknown to us, the Bugrom spy Sasuke was taking in this scene from a shaded rooftop corner, and worse of all, the Shadow Tribe member Nahato was putting on a deceptive show for him; a show with far higher production values than a SOS Brigade movie production.

Nahato's skills as an illusion caster were renown within the Shadow Tribe, and he had recently added to them the ability to make precise alterations to the facial appearances and voices of actual people that were actually being seen. In this case, he made Dr. Schtalubaugh and Sensei Fujisawa look downright _sinister_ to Sasuke. While Nahato himself smirked over the way he was tricking Sasuke, he made it look like Dr. Schtalubaugh and Sensei Fujisawa look like they were smirking evilly. He made it seem to Sasuke that they were _applying_ poisons to Itsuki, or testing drugs on Itsuki in the same way that _lab rats_ and _guinea pigs_ have drugs applied to them. He added maniacal laughter to his altered image of Dr. Schtalubaugh, and he also made it seem to Sasuke that Itsuki Koizumi was shouting out in delirious pain.

With false information leaked to the Bugrom Empire through one of Nahato's illusions, the Shadow Tribe member quickly moved into his hiding spot in Florestica, as there was yet more that Galus would need him to do in the capitol of Roshtaria. Right now, however, Galus was being confronted by Yuki Nagato. Galus had been standing within the periphery of the Shadow Tribe's technologically advanced lab, as his eyes quickly moved from one elaborate manned control panel displaying important readings to the next. He noticed, however, that Haruhi Suzumiya's vital signs were _not_ registering on the control panel dedicated to her; this clearly indicated to Galus that Demon God Yuki Nagato would soon be paying him a visit, as she was not in the presence of Haruhi. Hence, as she phased in out of invisibility, to be flying directly above and behind Galus, the Lord of the Shadow Tribe was not shocked in the least, and merely turned about to speak to his principle _chess piece_, as he viewed her.

"For what reason have you chosen to grace us with your presence, Yuki Nagato?" he asked, in a slightly sarcastic tone of voice, "I _hope_ that it is to make an important report to us, as your principle assignment is to carefully monitor Haruhi Suzumiya."

"No, I have no report to make" stated Yuki Nagato, "I have made a conclusion concerning the one called Haruhi Suzumiya, as well as Mikuru Asahina, Itsuki Koizumi, and Kyon. I desire to share this with you."

"This should prove intriguing…" replied Lord Galus, betraying by his saucy tone of voice that he was _not_ intrigued at all, but rather had _expected_ Yuki to eventually make these comments, "What have you learned, _my_ Demon God?"

"There is no reason to believe that Haruhi Suzumiya and Mikuru Asahina would share false information with one another about me, while they were not aware of my presence." responded Yuki Nagato, "Itsuki Koizumi and Kyon made comments concerning a hypothetical former association with me that is reflective of what Haruhi and Mikuru have stated. I now hold that it is confirmed that all four were… _friends_ with me, before, and that I am suffering from lost memory."

Yuki Nagato had seen through the base trickery of the Shadow Tribe! This would constitute _very_ good and welcomed news… if not for one detail that Galus would make clear to Nagato.

"Perhaps you are right" responded Lord Galus, shrugging his shoulders flippantly, "However, Yuki Nagato, it makes no difference. You are still beholden to the holder of your key staff, and _I_ am that holder Yuki."

Yuki could merely _glare_ at Galus over these words. He was, sadly, quite correct in what he said to her. However, Yuki could now tell that Galus had awful goals that ran contrary to what she wanted to achieve and regain. She hence would begin to try to find a way; _any way_, to free herself from the control of the Shadow Tribe.

"You are correct" replied Yuki to Galus, "We now share an understanding between one another. Achieving such an understanding was my purpose in stating my observations to you. I will promptly return to monitoring Haruhi Suzumiya."

"Good" responded Galus curtly, and with a smug look on his face, arms behind his back, "You will soon have a most important task to complete for me Yuki. I trust that you will adhere to it."

Unfortunately for Yuki, she currently had _no choice_ but to adhere to the tasks that Galus and his Shadow Tribe assigned to her. Only a distant shadow of a hope within Yuki's mind managed to focus her on freeing herself from the master of the key staff. A much less intense focus would be shared between Makoto Mizuhara, Nanami Jinnai, Alielle, and Miz Mishtal, as they would arrive back in Florestica near the close of the SOS Brigade of Earth's sixth day on El Hazard. Waiting for them in the marble royal courtyard of Florestica was Shayla Shayla, as she walked about the grass there. After Alielle would land the _Camerock_ next to the _Peacemaker_, Shayla Shayla would rush over to greet Makoto Mizuhara, as he leapt off of the Camerock.

"_**Hey**__ Makoto!_" shouted Shayla Shayla enthusiastically as she raced over to meet the young man from Earth that she had a bit of a crush on would finally make his return to Florestica, "How are you doing? Sensei Fujisawa was wondering when you were going to get back, and… I was worried about you too!"

"Thanks for the concern, Shayla." replied Makoto, "Is everything well in Florestica?"

"I'm afraid not, Makoto" answered Shayla Shayla, "One of the newcomers from Earth; a guy named Itsuki Koizumi, if I remember correctly, has been poisoned!"

"Koizumi's been poisoned!" exclaimed an aghast Miz Mishtal in horror over this, "Who did that to him, Shayla?"

"He was poisoned by a demon god using Shadow Tribe poisons" answered Shayla Shayla, "Dr. Schtalubaugh, Sensei Fujisawa, Afura, and Kyon have all been working really hard to find a cure to the poison in one of Schtalubaugh's medical texts! They haven't had any luck yet, though…"

"This is… very bad news" stated a dejected Makoto, "Was Sensei Fujisawa able to retrieve Yuki Nagato, Haruhi Suzumiya, Mikuru Asahina, or Princess Fatora at least?"

"Yeah!" piped up Alielle, interjecting, "He better have found my dear sweet ~Fatora~!"

"_Sigh_" responded Shayla Shayla, before making a nervous laugh, "Ha ha ha! Sensei Fujisawa had kind of been hoping that _you_ had found and rescued the kidnapped Roshtarian Princess, and the new females from Earth, Makoto. On the way to the spatial anomaly that _he_ went to, he and Kyon and Koizumi were caught off guard by a surprise attack from some sort of new demon god, and a Shadow Tribe assassin!"

"That's ~_**terrible~**_!" exclaimed Alielle, "Then that means _nobody_ has been rescued yet!"

"Not only that, Alielle…" stated Makoto, "It also means that we have a new demon god to deal with, and that the Shadow Tribe is back and up to no good! I'm going to need to talk to Sensei Fujisawa about all of this!"

Makoto did so, and was very much alarmed by Sensei Fujisawa's confirmation of what Shayla Shayla had stated. Furthermore, Sensei Fujisawa had decided to keep the identity of the "new demon god" hidden from everybody else in Florestica, as he wanted to spare me the severe line of questioning that I would have to put up with if the people of Florestica had known that the new demon god was actually Yuki Nagato. However, the highly perceptive Nanami Jinnai had managed to get a telling physical description of the new demon god from Sensei Fujisawa, leading her to correctly believe that this new demon god was somehow Yuki Nagato. Hence, this would be a tense evening for all of us, before we eventually decided to call it a night.

Alielle had wanted to head off to rescue Fatora right away, but everybody was drained and tired. Makoto, Nanami, and Miz, in particular, were suffering from a bit of jet leg from their recent several hours travel by air. It was agreed that we'd talk over what we were going to do next the following morning, and that we would probably head off to try to save Fatora. Still, acrimony and doubts began to fester about Florestica, as I could tell that Nanami was starting to question my trustworthiness given what Yuki had done, Alielle was deeply distressed, Makoto was agonizingly depressed, and the rest of us were all wondering just what we should do next. What would be discovered early the following morning would only predictably worsen matters, much to my continued chagrin.

Princess Rune Venus was walking about the royal court by herself, trying to ameliorate the deep seated and persistent concerns and stresses that plagued her mind, given news of the Bugrom Empire having kidnapped her sister Fatora once more, as well as news of a revived Bugrom Empire, a reconstituted Shadow Tribe, and a new demon god. After a time of relative peace, Princess Rune was overwrought by the notion that the events of the recent past would replay themselves in their full horror. However, Princess Rune would soon learn that, _this_ time at least, there was one key difference.

"Your Highness!" exclaimed Londs as he rushed up to the Princess from behind, and knelt respectfully before her, "We have received most troubling news from the country of Gannon."

"_Sigh…_" responded an increasingly fearful Princess Rune, as her countenance was one of despondency and irritation, "I doubt, Londs, that I can withstand much more such troubling news."

"Please forgive this humble servant, then, for bringing such news to you" responded Londs, "However, Princess, it is likely important for you to know of it immediately."

"Very well, Londs" replied Princess Rune, firming herself as she turned about to face Londs, "What is this troubling news?"

"The nation of Gannon, your Highness…" answered Londs, "That nation has fallen once more the Bugrom advance!"

Mind you, Gannon had not merely been conquered this time; _this_ time it had also been propagandized. One of Roshtaria's diplomats in Gannon had managed to acquire a few of the new SOS Brigade pamphlets that came within the SOS Brigade promotional boxes. One of those pamphlets had found its way into the hands of Nanami Jinnai. In the early hours of the SOS Brigade of Earth's seventh day on El Hazard, Nanami would make this known to me in no uncertain terms.

"_**Kyon!**_" she exclaimed angrily, as she _shoved_ one such SOS Brigade pamphlet into my face, while I sat uneasily on a white bench in the royal courtyard, "Just what is the meaning of this, huh?!"

The cover of the SOS Brigade pamphlet was quite telling. It was a picture of a slightly modified conclusion to the _Hare Hare Yukai_ dance. As usual, there was Haruhi, with one leg outstretched, one bended knee, and a finger pointing diagonally upwards to the heavens. Haruhi, much to my surprise, had some sort of _wings_ on her, though. My initial thought was that this was some sort of bizarre costume that Haruhi had made for herself.

Standing just to the sides of Haruhi were Mikuru, and a seductively dressed woman that I did not recognize. That woman had buggy features as well. Mikuru and that woman, a woman called _Diva_ I would later learn, were motioning forwards with their hands. This was identical to how Mikuru and Yuki posed at the conclusion of the Hare Hare Yukai dance that Haruhi had taught us, and frequently forced the SOS Brigade to perform.

Farther off on the sides were two large bugrom, motioning their arms towards Haruhi, and essentially filling the roles that Koizumi and I did in the Hare Hare Yukai dance. Finally, and in a new _special_ spot, was Katsuhiko Jinnai, dressed in the costume that he had worn when he had last fought with Makoto. _SOS Man_ was standing directly behind Haruhi, with hands on his hips, and a smug look on his face. Jinnai's position in the picture was striking. It _clearly_ demonstrated how Haruhi saw him as serving an integral supporting role to her, but more to the point, it also showed how Haruhi actually viewed him as her _equal_. Jinnai did not have to virtually _bow_ to Haruhi, like Itsuki and I had to, but rather _he_ would be at the center of the Hare Hare Yukai dance as well.

"_**Well, Kyon?!**_" continued the indignant Nanami in penetrating question, "That _is_ Haruhi Suzumiy, _and_ Mikuru Asahina… and they're making that silly little pose along with Katsuhiko and the bugrom! It looks to me like _they've_ gotten pretty chummy!"

"Yeah…" I responded in a low, detached tone, as even I found this atrocious situation _very_ hard to accept or believe, "I guess that you're right, Nanami."

"Is that all that you have to say for yourself, Kyon?!" asked Nanami in turn, "From what I gathered from what Sensei Fujisawa said, the _new_ demon god sounds just like Yuki Nagato! _And_ Haruhi and Mikuru are now with the bugrom! In fact, it almost looks and sounds like Haruhi is _leading_ the bugrom along with my brother, what with news of her picture being thrown up _everywhere_ in Gannon! So… that's three of your friends doing some _crazy_, insane, _murderous_ things! Given what your friends are doing, why should we trust _you_, either, huh?!"

"_**Nanami!**_" exclaimed Makoto, coming to my defense, "It's not Kyon's fault that Haruhi and Mikuru have gotten mixed up with the bugrom… and who knows how Yuki became a demon god! There's something _fishy_ going on here. I'm sure that there's a good explanation for all of this; we simply have to get to the bottom of it!"

"No, Makoto…" I interjected, with a deep sense of shame, "Nanami is absolutely right. I can't blame her for not trusting me given what Haruhi, Mikuru, and Yuki are doing. Haruhi's many things, but she's not dumb. If she's chosen to side with the bugrom…"

_Appalling_ thoughts began to course through my mind. I recalled Haruhi's extreme zealousness in destroying the Computer Club's armies in the video game we played against them. Is it possible… was it actually possible… that Haruhi… that Haruhi had a conqueror's heart as well? It was difficult to believe that she was somehow not aware of just what Katsuhiko Jinnai was up to. Hence, did that mean that she actually _supported_ Jinnai's warlord ways, as long as she was to get in on the action herself? I found that difficult to believe as well, as Haruhi never struck me as being _that_ blood thirsty or violent of a person. Thus, I was caught between two incredible possibilities; each being difficult to accept. Either Haruhi has been _meticulously_ fooled by Jinnai, or… or she actually supported him in _all_ of his activities.

"Well…" began Nanami, calming down due to my words to her, "At least _you_ sound reasonable, Kyon. Maybe I jumped to conclusions a bit as it concerns you. I just find it very odd that of the five newcomers to El Hazard from Earth at least three are now involved in some _awful_ activities!"

"And we're going to have to stop them…" I said in a firm tone, feeling a great sense of responsibility over what my fellow SOS Brigade members where up to, "I'm going to have to confront Haruhi over what she is doing. And, furthermore, I very much hope that I run into Nagato again!"

Nanami was taken a bit aback by my words, while Makoto smiled over them.

"You're a good, dependable friend, Kyon." stated Makoto, "You've been through _a lot_ lately, but you still want to help out Haruhi, Mikuru, and Yuki. Together, Kyon, you and I are going to find out what sort of trickery is behind all of this!"

Makoto's words inspirited me ever so slightly. However, I was nowhere near as inspirited as Katsuhiko Jinnai would soon be, as he made his triumphant return to the new royal hall of the Bugrom Queen. While combing his hair to ensure that he would be immaculately groomed for this most prestigious occasion, the grinning Jinnai strode confidently up through the oval crevice and the crystalline staircase leading to the throne upon which Haruhi was sitting. The hundreds of bugrom in attendance were quite noisy, as their commotion was matched only by Mikuru's cheering as she wore the Bugrom girl outfit fashioned out of Jinnai's bugrom armor.

"_Jinnai, Jinnai_, he's our man, if he can't do it, nobody can!" she chanted loudly, as she hopped up and down in a bouncy choreography while shaking her pom poms, "_Goooooo…_**Jinnai**!"

"Ok…" said Queen Haruhi to herself, as she actually had some proverbial butterflies in her stomach, "I have to do this _just_ right!"

The proud Jinnai finally came to a stop about four feet in front of Haruhi's throne, as he held one hand on his waist and the other one at ease upon his side. Haruhi stood up with a jump, and began to hold up a medallion that she had crafted for jus this occasion.

""For turning the entire country of Gannon into SOS Brigade members, I Haruhi Suzumiya present to you our highest honor…!" she exclaimed, "_**The SOS Brigade Big Raid Medallion of Unending Fun!!!**_"

The bugrom in attendance released a mighty cheer at these words, and would thrust their arms in perfectly synchronized celebratory gesture. With a most satisfied smile on her face, and as she closed her eyes tightly in joy, Haruhi Suzumiya handed that medallion over to Jinnai. Jinnai took it, took a moment to size it up, and turned about, pumping it victoriously into the hair.

"I am _**THE MAN!!!**_" he proclaimed loudly, as his entire body was like a spring, first coiling in, and then stretching outwards in sheer jubilation, "_Ha ha ha ha ha…_ **HA HA HA HA HA HA**… _hahahahaha_ hmmm~mmmm…  **HaHaHa** _**HA!**_ Ha Ha ha ha ha **HA…!!!**"

"…. ha ha ha ha _**Ha**_!" laughed Haruhi in turn, finding Jinnai's laugh to be infectious.

A few minutes later, Haruhi and Jinnai would share a private meeting with one another, as there was much to go over. The two sat directly across from each other, each upon a crystalline throne of sorts.

"You're amazing, Katsuhiko!" exclaimed Haruhi, "An entire alien nation brought into the SOS Brigade in _only two days_! _**Wow…!**_"

Katsuhiko chuckled haughtily over these words.

"You can just consider it a small appetizer" stated Jinnai, before making a sly grin, "I suppose you want the main course?"

"**Yes!**" answered Haruhi in shout, "It's going to be fun chewing down on El Hazard with _you_, Katsuhiko!"

And with that, Haruhi and Jinnai shared a laugh. However, shortly after the laugh, a sudden and startling look of sadness suddenly took over Haruhi's face.

"What's wrong?" asked Jinnai of Haruhi.

"El Hazard is a real riot!" began Haruhi in answer, "But… and I never thought I'd say this… but I'm starting to miss Japan a bit. Actually, Katsuhiko, now that I think of it… don't _you_ miss Japan at all? I mean, you've been here a lot longer than I have!"

"For me, Haruhi, what is there to miss?" answered Jinnai in turn, "My dad's never home, my mom constantly nags me, I have no real friends in school… there's _nothing_ to miss! Don't get me wrong, I think highly of our country of birth, but there's _nothing_ back there for me, especially since Ma_ko_**to** was trying to take the Student Council Presidency from me. Here, on El Hazard, I have the bugrom, who I have to admit are the best friends I have!"

"Yeah… I see your point" replied Haruhi softly, "My parents are a lot like yours, actually."

"Oh?" asked Jinnai in turn, finding this mention at Haruhi's parents quite intriguing, "What are your parents like?"

"My dad is a children's entertainer" began Haruhi in answer, as she stood up, and turned away from Jinnai, finding it easier to talk openly about her parents in this less direct fashion, "He was a really great father earlier in life, and I loved how he used to put on these colorful shows for me. But, since I turned seven years old or so, he's increasingly away from home, on tour as a children's entertainer throughout many places in Asia. I hardly ever get to see him now. My mom is a voracious reader and really smart… but she's _way_ too serious, and only cares about school marks. She's always nagging me to give up the 'silly, wasteful, juvenile, and useless' SOS Brigade, as she puts it. She thinks that my desire to find aliens, espers, and time travelers is misplaced and that I need to grow up…"

"_**Ha!**_" laughed Jinnai, over these words, "Well, you certainly showed her, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I guess that I did!" replied Haruhi energetically, and with a smile, turning around to face Jinnai again,"At the very least, there _are_ aliens after all!"

"See?" asked Jinnai in turn, and thrusting an arm into the air, "We're _both_ better off here on El Hazard, were we are _meant_ to be! _Still…_ Groucho has brought it to my attention that you might not be feeling well. How have you been lately, Haruhi?"

"Well…" began Haruhi in answer, "Some of the best and most exciting moments of my life have occurred over the past few days! Even just seeing this royal hall has been thrilling! Still…"

"Yes, yes, go on!" chimed in Jinnai.

"_Sigh_" stated Haruhi, turning away from Jinnai again, "Being Bugrom Empire Queen is _very_ demanding work. It's often physically exhaustive… even for me! A lot of the tasks that the Bugrom Queen has to do are pretty repetitive. And I have to say that it _really stinks _that I can't explore El Hazard more!"

"Well…" began Jinnai, as he stood up, and walked over to Haruhi, as her back was facing him right now, "If we can't bring you to the wider El Hazard, we'll just have to bring the wider El Hazard _to you_!"

Much to Haruhi's open mouth amazement, she then found herself having a necklace carefully placed around her neck, and then sealed into place, by Jinnai.

"**A-a **_**necklace!**_" she exclaimed in surprise.

"N-not just _any_ necklace!" responded Jinnai a bit nervously in turn, as he was worried that Haruhi might find this gift bizarre and useless, "This necklace is made out of metals that you can only find on El Hazard. For us, as such, it's an exotic _alien_ necklace! I also saw to it that the letters _'__**S O S**_' were engraved into the central stone of the necklace!"

"It's… it's _beautiful_" stated Haruhi in a very soft voice and at a decidedly low volume, as she was truly touched by the gesture.

"What was that?" asked Jinnai, having not heard Haruhi's words here, "Do you… do you _like_ it?"

"Yes!" exclaimed Haruhi, as she quickly turned about to look Jinnai in the face, "This gift **totally rocks**! I really like it! It's truly wonderful! I can't wait to show it to Mikuru!"

"Well…" began Jinnai in a slight smile, "That's good then. I… guess I'll be going now. There's still more nations I need to conquer for the SOS Brigade after all!"

And with that, Jinnai turned around, and began walking away from Haruhi. Haruhi, however, had detected a slight sadness, or disappointment, in Jinnai's voice. She could tell that he had been hoping for… _something more_ in her thanks to him. And, Haruhi _did_ feel a bit more than just casual thanks for this gift. She decided that it was time for her to be true about her _feelings_ for Jinnai; feelings that she had largely been hiding up until now since she herself was typically not good with romance, and also since she had known Jinnai for such a short period of time.

"_**Wait!**_" she shouted at Jinnai, as she took one of his hands with both of her hands, and from behind.

"What is it?" asked Jinnai, as he turned around to face Haruhi, while she continued to hold on to his right hand.

"I… I'm not _blind_, Katsuhiko" she answered, "I… I know the _real_ reason why you gave me this gift. _And…_ I'm very flattered by that, Katsuhiko. A-and I just want you to know that… that the feelings that you show me by giving me this gift… those feelings are mutual."

Jinnai raised an eyebrow over these words, not quite sure what to make of them. He wondered what, exactly, Haruhi meant by 'mutual feelings' here. Did she simply mean that she viewed _him_ as a **perfect ally** in the same fashion that he viewed her?

"I guess that's pretty vague, huh?" continued Haruhi, noticing the look of confusion on Jinnai's face, "I'm sorry. I'm not good with this sappy stuff. I'm really not. Let's see if I can explain myself a bit better… Back on Earth, I dated a lot of guys. Most of them were pretty boring. Many of them ended up thinking that I was a weirdo. Very few of them were all that nice to me, and they were all… ordinary. _Very_ ordinary. But you, Katsuhiko… you're _extra_ordinary! I always knew that there just _had_ to be _someone_ out there who wasn't ordinary. There had to be _someone_ out there who was living an interesting life! I think that _you're_ that someone, Katsuhiko. And, more than just that… I _don't_ intimidate you! You don't think that I'm weirdo. You _get_ what the SOS Brigade is all about! Beyond that, you've said many nice things to me. Aside from the _Alliance spy_ misunderstanding, you've always been very friendly and nice to me. I…** I really like you, Katsuhiko!**"

And with that shout of proclaimed 'really liking', Haruhi practically _jumped_ at Jinnai, wrapping her arms around him tightly, and laying her head upon his chest. A part of Jinnai felt a great deal of anxiety over Haruhi's words and actions here, as they scared him slightly given his own lack of expertise with romance. A part of Jinnai wanted to _run_ away from Haruhi's embrace.

However… the _larger_ and _decisive_ part of Jinnai was greatly enthused by Haruhi's words here. It also helped that Jinnai was able to make the scene a little less awkward in his mind, by focusing a bit on _Makoto Mizuhara_, thinking '_Now_ who has a cool girlfriend, Mizu~_**hara?!'**_

"I… I really like you too, Haruhi" began Jinnai, as he slowly began to return Haruhi's embrace, "You're _by far_ the **coolest girl** that I've ever met! You know how to have a good time! You're not caught up in making money _for money's sake_, or pining over Makoto, or making box lunches, or any of _that_ complete nonsense! No, you want to _rule_! You want to _conquer_! You want to make a name for yourself. You know what is _really_ worth pursing in life. And all of that also makes you the _**smartest**_ girl that I've ever met!"

"_You're so sweet, Katsuhiko…_" Haruhi couldn't help but say, as Jinnai's compliments was having a profound emotional effect on her; making her feel _very_ good about herself.

Jinnai began to gently caress Haruhi's wings, as he adored the texture of them. The sensation of this caress helped to make Haruhi feel very _warm_ and in a state of blissful contentment. Part of Haruhi would have liked to have stayed in this hug forever. The sudden appearance of Sasuke would not allow it to be so, however…

Lord Jinnai! **Queen Haruhi!** he exclaimed, as he flew downwards to greet them, I have most grievous news to report from my reconnaissance mission in Roshtaria!

"Huh?" asked Jinnai over this unexpected news as he and Haruhi quickly released one another at Sasuke's alert, "What is it Sasuke?!"

I have found two of Queen Haruhi's missing friends in Florestica! answered Sasuke.

Jinnai swallowed uneasily over this, as he had not yet deprogrammed Itsuki and I. Haruhi was much more enthused, though.

"That's not _grievous_ news!" Haruhi exclaimed cheerfully in correction, "That's **great** news!"

I'm afraid that it _is_ grievous news, my Highness! stated Sasuke in correction, For, from what I could tell, the one called **Itsuki Koizumi** has been _poisoned_ and _crudely experimented on_ by the Roshtarians!

Jinnai was _entirely stunned_ by this report. Haruhi was _horrified_ by it.

"That _**awful Alliance**_!" she shouted, pumping a fist and with her eyes beginning to well up, "I'm going to make them pay dearly for doing that to Koizumi!"

Nahato's deception had worked wonders. Haruhi now believed that the Alliance was treating Itsuki maliciously and with contempt. It would lead Haruhi into Florestica, and would bring Galus' plan near its completion…

**To be continued…**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – The Melancholy of the SOS Brigade

With renewed determination, and an ardent yearning to clear the name of the SOS Brigade, and hence my own by extension, I quickly went along with Makoto and Nanami to gather up the best rescue team that was currently available to us in Florestica. Thankfully, that was a rather robust rescue force given the current inhabitants of Florestica, as they included Sensei Fujisawa, Makoto Mizuhara, the three Priestesses of Mount Muldoon, and me. The six of us, along with Nanami and Alielle, agreed that it was time to set off for the one remaining spatial anomaly, and to find Katsuhiko Jinnai nearby there.

Then, we would _trounce_ the tyrant, liberate Haruhi from his venal exploitations… _or_ talk some sense into her if necessary, free Mikuru as well, and retrieve Princess Fatora. To ready myself for this mission, I tried to silence my more naturally cynical side, while simultaneously casting aside Itsuki's earlier hopes that were simply impossible dreams now. There was frankly no proper place for _either_ extreme of flawless idealism _or_ a cynicism that obsessed over flaws or unwanted details, at this hour. I _had_ to start turning the tide on the horrendous wave of events that had plagued the SOS Brigade since we had arrived here on El Hazard… and if some eggs had to be broke to get that light at the end of the tunnel to appear, then so be it. A full week of this torrential rainfall of misery had been enough!

Though Alielle and Nanami had wanted to come along for this mission, Sensei Fujisawa argued that it would be too dangerous for them, as their abilities and powers would be of scarce use against the bugrom, and hence their presence would only serve to endanger themselves, and the rest of us by extension. However, while Alielle and Nanami would not be joining us on our quest, a most oddball final addition to our team would be made.

"Ma~ko~to!" came the insufferably cute cry of this bizarre cat that apparently spoke like a parrot.

"Ura!" responded Makoto merrily, clearly showing his familiarity with and fondness for this creature.

"I'm pleased to report that we have finished making repairs to Ura's belly given the damage it suffered during one of Dr. Schtalubaugh's failed chemistry experiments ten days ago!" chimed in Princess Rune Venus with a smile, "It is my most heartfelt hope, Makoto, that Ura will prove helpful to you once more in rescuing my sister!"

"I just hope that Princess Fatora appreciates Ura's efforts a bit more _this_ time, Princess Rune!" exclaimed Makoto in turn.

Then, in a scene that startlingly surprised me given what I had _already_ encountered on El Hazard, this cat Ura leapt at Makoto with a slight growl, and… and actually wrapped all around Makoto, back in his normal student uniform, and like some sort of living vest!

"W-what _is_ that?!" I exclaimed in dumbstruck question.

"Ura never ceases to amaze the humans of Earth, I see" stated Princess Rune with a grin, "Here on El Hazard, Ura is what is known as living armor."

"That's right, Kyon" added in Makoto to confirm Rune's words here for me, "Ura has been _loads_ of help to me before!"

"_Ma-ko-to!_" shouted Ura, smiling over Makoto's appreciatory comments here.

"Now we're all set!" shouted Shayla Shayla, "Let's go teach that two-bit _trickster_ Jinnai a thing or two about Priestess _justice_… crematorium style!"

"I agree!" exclaimed Afura Mann in turn, "To so cruelly manipulate and stage Kyon's friends into being _propaganda gimmicks_ for him and the bugrom is a crime that cannot be left unpunished!"

"That manipulation _does_ represent the most _scandalous_ of mistreatment of women…" stated Miz Mishtal, and just before winking at a certain someone in the room, "But then, I have no doubt that _my_ Masamichi can rescue these fine young women from the warmonger's wiles, and turn them into even more excelling students than they were before!"

"_**Right on!**_" hollered Sensei Fujisawa, albeit with a slight blush, "Katsuhiko has crossed over _the final line_ this time, in trying to drag down good students with spirit to _his_ level! I'm going to give him a lifetime of detentions for this!"

I couldn't help but smile slightly over these encouraging verbal gestures, as they were partially intended to let me know that everyone here was with me, and believed in me and my friends.

"See, Kyon?" asked Makoto, placing a hand on my shoulder, and looking up at me with those alarmingly ever hopeful eyes of his, "All of our rescue team here are with you! Now, let's go save Princess Fatora, Haruhi Suzumiya, and Mikuru Asahina!"

A loud collective cheer reverberated throughout the air of the royal courtyard, as we were about to get onboard the Camerock, and take flight. However, Dr. Schtalubaugh would put a sudden halt to our invigorated take off.

"_**Wait!**_" he exclaimed, as he rushed towards us, "Before you leave for _any_ destination, I _must_ tell you of the most momentous discovery that I have just made."

"What is it Dr. Schtalubaugh?" asked Makoto, with one foot already on part of the Camerock.

"After truly exhaustive research, I now know what is needed to cure Itsuki Koizumi!" he continued in a clamorous tone, "First, we need to finely grind down the roots of an exceedingly rare plant called the _Bekyo_. The Bekyo has distinctive reddish black petals, and a _blue_ stem! That plant only grows in subterranean depths beneath the surface of El Hazard. Specifically, it is most likely to be found in the _Coruscate Caverns_ that are located ten miles north-east of Florestica! For the sake of expediency, I must add that it is _imperative_ for me to attain roots of the Bekyo as soon as humanly possible, as it will take me quite some time to make a cure out of it and other readily available ingredients!"

This caused a discomforting silence to fall upon all of us in the royal courtyard of Florestica this morning. It placed us in a galling quandary. Yet… the safety of El Hazard _as a whole_ may depend on putting a stop to Katsuhiko Jinnai's machinations involving Haruhi and Mikuru. Furthermore, Princess Fatora was of royal lineage here on El Hazard, while Itsuki was but an alien to these people. I could not justly expect Itsuki's need of a cure to take precedence over the task that was before Makoto and his friends. However… _doubts_ started to take hold in my mind again. At the moment, retrieving a plant from some caves sounded _much_ easier than trying to get through to a duped Haruhi, given how stubborn I knew that she could be. Hence, I made a quick, but difficult, decision.

"_I'll_ head after the Bekyo plant on my own" I stated, "Itsuki is _my_ concern. He's _not_ the concern of El Hazard. The rest of you please do everything you can to stop Jinnai and rescue Fatora, Haruhi, and Mikuru. I hope to see the rest of you again soon!"

With that said, I swiftly summoned forth the full effects of my magnetic powers, enabling me to create an electronically and gravitationally balanced sphere of electromagnetic energy all about me. This sphere was attracted to the metallic parts of the rooftops of Florestica just enough for me to rapidly glide the sphere at a constant distance above and over those rooftops, quickly taking me to the very edge of the capitol of Roshtaria.

"Kyon… _**wait!**_" Makoto had exclaimed, but far too late, as I had already taken flight.

I gravely disliked acting without significant second thought like this, but circumstances appeared to require quick, decisive action. Furthermore, I was not willing to have the plights of the SOS Brigade to cause _even more_ disruption to the people of El Hazard, or _certainly_ to the kind and heroic Makoto Mizuhara. In a most odd occurrence of a reversal of approaches, Haruhi had taken a far more guarded approach to her own worries. She did this by calling for a special emergency Bugrom Empire meeting involving only her, Jinnai, Mikuru, Diva, and Groucho.

"T-they're torturing _**Itsuki?!**_" asked Mikuru in a decidedly distraught tone, and on the precipice of bawling into tears.

"Yes, Mikuru, this Alliance group must be a bunch of inhumane reprobates!" exclaimed Haruhi in answer, as she herself wasn't _that_ far away from tears, "No wonder Katsuhiko hates them so much!"

Katsuhiko, for his part, was actually pacing back and forth, chin firmly in stroking hand, and mind running through all manner of possibilities, _struggling_ to make sense of this all.

"Diva…" stated Haruhi, "I know that the Bugrom Queen isn't supposed to leave her Hive headquarters except for truly momentous occasion… but can we _please_ make an exception this time?! Koizumi is in danger, and as leader of the SOS Brigade, it's my responsibility to get him _out_ of danger!"

"I understand, Miss Suzumiya" responded Queen Diva in a sympathetic tone, "You have already done _sterling_ yeoman work for the Bugrom Empire, and hence, _yes_, I am fine with you temporarily taking leave of this fortress to ensure the resuscitation of your friend."

"Thanks, Diva!" exclaimed Groucho, "I don't think that I could stand to see Queen Haruhi like this for much longer."

Groucho then turned to Katsuhiko.

"Ok boss!" shouted Groucho, "This is definitely _your_ area of expertise! What's the plan? How are we going to rescue the Queen's friend?!"

"_Sigh…_" stated an exasperated Katsuhiko, "The four of you honestly _don't have a clue_ what's _really_ going on here, do you?"

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?!" asked Haruhi, a bit angrily.

"It means that this is _not_ how the Alliance operates!" exclaimed Jinnai in answer, "Yes, I **hate** the Alliance, but _even I_ know that there are certain depths to which _they_ won't sink, and _this_ is definitely one such depth! Torture? _**Torture?!**_ Do you honestly believe that Sensei Fujisawa, of all people, would _allow_ such a thing?!

"So what are you saying then?" asked Haruhi, a bit less angrily this time.

"I'm saying that _**this is a trap!**_" shouted Jinnai in answer, "I can _taste_ it from here! Someone sent… _false scrambled messages_ to Sasuke. How, _**I don't know**_! And that's what's giving me _**such violent urges**_ right now! But that _doesn't_ change what's _clearly_ going on here. Someone is trying to _set us up for a fall, _Haruhi!"

Haruhi carefully thought over Jinnai's words here. They had a certain ring of prudential wisdom to them to her. In fact, they even made her think of what _I'd_ say if I was a lot more eccentric in my mannerisms and speech than what I was. With Jinnai unwittingly acting like me, though, it made Haruhi's eventual response to him that much more obvious.

"You're being _paranoid_, Katsuhiko" stated Haruhi, "Sasuke is a very dependable spy from what I've been told; from what _you yourself_ told me. Who in El Hazard could fake what he saw? The Alliance is simply worse than you thought that they were, and I guess that Sensei Fujisawa is one of those bad apple teachers. Now, if _you_ don't take the lead in rescuing Koizumi, then _I_ **will**!"

"_P-please_ take the lead, Katsuhiko!" stated Mikuru, "T-things don't always go well when Haruhi's leading expeditions!"

"_**Mikuru!**_" exclaimed Haruhi angrily at this implied insult.

"Come on, boss, you're **the Supreme Commander**!" shouted Groucho, "You're not going to leave the Bugrom Queen without your guidance, are you?!"

"Mr. Jinnai" added in Diva, getting quite emotional for her standards, "Did the lessons of _Gihren Zala_ and the attempted genocide of the bugrom with _the Eye of God_ teach you nothing? _Never_ underestimate the depths to which the Alliance will sink! Queen Haruhi has made her wishes quite clear, and you, as Supreme Commander, **will adhere to them**, Mr. Jinnai!"

Katsuhiko Jinnai found himself in a decidedly uncomfortable position of being outnumbered four to one, with three of those four being the very best friends that he had. Normally when outnumbered like this, Jinnai would simply rant and rave in great displeasure before storming chaotically out of the room, but given how he did _**not**_ want to be on bad terms with Haruhi, Groucho, and Diva…

"**Fine!**" he shouted, "But we're going to do this rescue operation in _complete and precise accordance_ with my intricately detailed plans! Is that clear?!"

"Y-yes" Haruhi responded, sensing that she could compromise here since Jinnai had made such a compromise himself, "You've seen more of El Hazard than I have, so I'm willing to have you organize and plot out this rescue operation. But we have to work quickly, Katsuhiko!"

"Don't worry" responded Katsuhiko, "I only need a few minutes to come up with a plan. First of all, you, Mikuru, and I will need to disguise ourselves in clothes that are typical for the citizens of Roshtaria. Then… _wait…_"

Jinnai's _conception_ of a perfect counter to the trap that he feared he'd be walking Haruhi, Groucho, Mikuru, and himself straight into suddenly came to him, causing a wide smirk to wash across his face. He was _sure_ that this was all some carefully laid trap to _get the new Bugrom Queen._ So, if someone who didn't look like Haruhi _at all_ was there in her place…

"What is it, Katsuhiko?" asked Haruhi.

"Haruhi…" he responded, turning quickly about to face her, and taking hold of her shoulders, "You can shape-change right? Well then, it would be _perfect_ if you could make yourself look like somebody that you know well, but somebody that looks a lot different from you! Do you have any idea of who such a person might be, Haruhi?"

"Yes, I do!" responded Haruhi excitedly, and with a smile.

And with that, Haruhi concentrated _very hard_ to capture the _exact_ appearance of a former fellow North High student that had since left for Canada, as she thought.

"_Ta~da!_" shouted Haruhi, her transformation complete, "Say hello to **Ryoko Asakura**!"

"Excellent!" exclaimed Jinnai with Haruhi's transformation complete, including the removal of her bugrom features and slight alterations to her student uniform, "This Ryoko Asakura _does_ look very different from you! Now then, this is going to be a special covert undercover operation. It's going to involve just you, myself, Groucho, and Mikuru… and a small support team that will be set up just outside of Florestica in case of emergency. The four of us will be the _main_ team, however, and we are going to sneak into Florestica by cover of nightfall, stealthily search for Itsuki Koizumi, and rescue him!"

"_Nightfall?_" asked Haruhi _'Asakura'_ Suzumiya, "We can't rescue Koizumi any sooner than _that_?"

"Once we're all in costume and ready to take off, it's going to take us _that_ long to get to Florestica via the Red Comet and the Blue Drop _anyway_" answered Jinnai.

"I see" responded Haruhi, "Well then, let's hurry up and get proper costumes for everybody so we can get going to Florestica!"

Jinnai already had a pale blue, black, and white outfit that reflected the apparel that many Roshtarian blue collar workers wore. He had prepared that for himself for _just_ an occasion like this one. Haruhi and Mikuru quickly went about piecing together two baggy silk satin pants of a pastel white tone for them to wear. In addition to that, they each wore a tight halter top; blue for Haruhi and pink for Mikuru. Mikuru was additionally given a shawl and veil to further conceal her, while Jinnai put on a beard, moustache, and monocle set to make him appear older than what he was while also disguising his face.

Thankfully, my own mission would not require such masquerading. On the other hand, I was at a disadvantage in that I was undertaking my mission all on my lonesome, lacking the comfort that having _friends_ alongside of me that Haruhi at least would have. At least, that was my assessment when I finally reached the entrance to the _Coruscate Caverns_.

"Ok, Kyon" I said to myself, as I desired to hear the sound of my own voice to break the tense silence that was all about me, and I stared deep into the dark, deep, and wide cavernous recesses before me, "It's time to get this Bekyo plant for Itsuki! It'll probably take a very long journey into these clandestine chasms to _find_ that plant… _and_ it may be laden with plentiful hazards… _and_ it's probably going to be markedly dark and dingy down there, but…. _uuunnnhhhh!!!_"

Who was I kidding? I was starting to get goose bumps already, as I tried to force them back by bringing my palm first to my face and head. I really should have thought this over more carefully. Thankfully, Makoto Mizuhara had applied such careful thought for me.

"Kyon!" he shouted, much to my surprise, and while he and Nanami raced up to me from behind, "Thank goodness we finally caught up to you!"

Makoto and Nanami were both carrying flashlights, while Nanami also had with her a picnic basket full of box lunches, and Makoto also had with him a long rope line attached to a large grappling hock, no doubt good for climbing. Makoto still had Ura worn about him.

"H-How did you get here so fast?" I asked in surprise, turning to face them "With my magnetic powers, I flew here at, I would estimate, about thirty miles per hour."

"We confiscated a tractor trolley to chase after you" answered Makoto.

"Ok" I answered, "But why are you even here? Why didn't you go with Sensei Fujisawa and the Three Priestesses to try and rescue…"

"_**Kyon!**_" piped up Nanami, interjecting into the conversation, "We couldn't just let you go off on your own?! What kind of friends would we be if we did that?!"

"_Friends?_" I asked rhetorically, a bit surprised to hear Nanami refer to Makoto _and_ her as being that to _me_.

"Yes… friends" answered Nanami, "I… I was probably too hard on you before. Please understand that there's nothing I hate more than being _lied_ to. I like to trust the people that I'm friendly with and hence I like for them to trust me! With you and Itsuki, though… I just couldn't shake the feeling that you were _hiding_ something from the rest of us, and that made it seem to me like you didn't _trust_ the rest of us. And when I saw that picture of Haruhi and Mikuru with the bugrom that just confirmed to me that you and Itsuki _had_ been hiding something from us. And Makoto and I are here now… we're here now…"

"We're here now, Kyon" stated Makoto, finishing off Nanami's words for her, "To show you that you _can_ trust us. Sensei Fujisawa and the Three Priestesses are going to make sure that Fatora, Haruhi, and Mikuru get safely out of the clutches of the bugrom. They can handle that without my help, I believe. So, Nanami and I are going to help _you_ find the needed plant to save Itsuki! _Then_, once _that's_ taken care, I'm going to see to helping **Yuki Nagato** just like I helped Ifurita!"

I had to admit… while Makoto was the eternal optimist to my eternal pessimist, I nonetheless found him quite impressive in his own way.

"It's been great getting to know the two of you." I said to Makoto and Nanami, "You might just make an optimist out of me yet, Makoto! Let's go get that plant!"

"Right!" shouted Makoto and Nanami.

With that, Makoto, Nanami and I entered the _Coruscate Caverns_, with Makoto and Nanami's flashlights leading the way for us. However, aside from Makoto's unquestioning support of Itsuki and I, the SOS Brigade's time on El Hazard was increasingly like a sad comedy of errors. Sensei Fujisawa and his team on _the Camerock_ would pass a mere five hundred meters away from Haruhi, Jinnai, Groucho, and Mikuru riding on _the Red Comet_, with only cloud cover preventing the two groups from seeing one another as they headed in opposite directions and towards where the other group had originally set sail from.

Galus, keenly aware of all of this maneuvering, found it quite amusing to behold through special undetectable viewing screens that he had situated nearby key El Hazard locations. Indeed, for him, this situation could not have been any more perfect; it played _directly_ into his hands. It was actually only _my_ mission for the Bekyo plant that perturbed him in the slightest.

"Hhhmmm…" he mused to himself, "_Kyon_, and his allies Makoto and Nanami, are now the only wild cards left. Virtually everybody else are moving about as though I was controlling their every move… but _Kyon_ could still potentially unravel the entangling garment that I have an almost finished preparing for Haruhi Suzumiya. I wonder if I should send a Shadow Tribe assassin after him?"

"Please let _me_ do it, Lord Galus!" came a very familiar, but equally unexpected voice.

"_Nanoha!_" exclaimed an unusually startled Galus, turning around to face Nanoha.

"Yes, Lord Galus." she reiterated herself, with a face betraying its fervent desire to make amends, "Let me do it! Please let me make up for my previous failure, Galus."

"_Sigh_" stated Galus, "Nanoha… _sweet_ Nanoha… I'm not _angry_ with you over your failure. Truthfully, it is all that I expected. You just don't have it in you to kill a human being, Nanoha. I can live with that. Your friendship with my… with my daughter… is sufficient for me to welcome your continued company and membership within the Shadow Tribe. Please resume the housekeeping tasks given to you by Nahato."

With that, Galus turned around and away from Nanoha. Nanoha's sentiments on the matter were unchanged, though. She wanted to play a role; some role of importance in avenging her dear friend Alicia. Hence, she boldly stood defiantly against the Shadow Tribe leader himself.

"N-no!" she shouted back at Galus, "I won't accept that!"

"_**You won't accept that? **_", exclaimed Galus in repeating question, turning back at Nanoha, now in even greater shock than before.

"I-I _can't_ accept that Galus" Nanoha rephrased, as tears began to well up in her eyes, "Alicia was a very dear friend to me. I **have** to do **something** to help you in your clearly carefully planned moves to avenge her! A plan that may in fact bring Alicia back to us! Please… let me put my powers to use in standing for Alicia."

Alicia was a name that no Shadow Tribe member was allowed to mention in Galus' presence; so intense his emotional connection to that name being. Galus allowed only one exception to that rule, and that exception was Nanoha Inverse. Nanoha was so close to Alicia that she was _almost_ like a second daughter to Galus, and beyond that, Galus could not deny that Alicia meant a great deal to Nanoha as well.

"…Very well, Nanoha" he stated, "I will give you this _one final opportunity_ to demonstrate to me that you can be an effective Shadow Tribe Assassin. Go into the Coruscate Caverns after Kyon, Makoto, and Nanami, and kill as many of them as you can. At the _very_ least, I want you to kill Kyon."

"Thank you, Galus!" exclaimed Nanoha in turn, forcing a smile towards him, "I will not fail you this time, father of Alicia!"

And with that, Nanoha quickly went off after Makoto, Nanami, and I.

"Lord Galus…" stated Shadow Tribe lead scientist Fausto, while turning his head briefly sideways so that one eye was facing Galus, "Please forgive my impertinence, sire, but… is that wise? Nanoha was helpful in ensuring Katsuhiko Jinnai captured Fatora and Mikuru, but otherwise her record has been _far_ from sparkling!"

"Well…" began Galus in sly admittance, "I don't necessarily expect her to succeed. However, Nanoha is a _chaos factor_ that will now work against Kyon, Makoto, and Nanami. She certainly can't hurt in that regard! She is a _mild_ drug, but a _benign_ one… much like _Aspiruction_, you could say."

"Ha ha ha ha!" laughed Fausto, appreciating Galus' satirical point here, "I see your rationale, Lord Galus. Very well then, I will return back to my duties."

Fortunately for Fausto, those duties were considerably less formidable than what the bugrom left guarding the latest bugrom fortress would face. About _two thirds_ of the massive central spire of the former Hive had already been rebuilt, but its surrounding and heavily congested _suburbs_ of sorts had yet to be reconstructed whatsoever. At the _former_ Hive base, those suburbs served to make the Hive that more impenetrable, as any human party would find them excessively difficult to maneuver through with their lives intact. However, the latest bugrom fortress was lacking that buffer zone of sorts, and hence Katsuhiko Jinnai had erected a medieval like drawbridge and moat to serve as a moderate makeshift barricade against any human interlopers. Other than the upper balcony entrance, accessible only from air or from those already within the fortress, this drawbridge entrance was the only obvious entrance into the fortress. And indeed, against most would be intruders the drawbridge and moat would be satisfactory. But one particular Priestess of Mount Muldoon would make short work out of it…

"k_k__**k**_**K**_**k**__k_kaa_aa__**ahhh!!!**_" was the hauntingly echoing shout of Miz Mishtal, as she called forth upon the waters in the moat about the latest bugrom fortress to knock aside the drawbridge, as well as the two poor bugrom that had been standing on guard in front of it.

"First grade work, Miz!" exclaimed Masamichi Fujisawa.

"**Right!**" added in Shayla Shayla, "Now let's rush in there and knock around a few bugrom skulls!"

"They technically don't have _skulls_, Shayla, but I agree with the _spirit_ behind your statement" added in Afura Mann, "This latest bugrom fortress is going to look like a tornado struck it once _I'm_ done with it!"

Sensei Fujisawa, Miz Mishtal, Shayla Shayla, and Afura Mann all took the bugrom just inside of the now wrecked drawbridge totally by surprise. They had _not_ been expecting an invasion like this!

"_**Fujisawa Leg Drop!!!**_" exclaimed Sensei Fujisawa, causing roughly a dozen bugrom to flop over from the sheer air pressure resulting from Fujisawa's swiftly descending leg.

"_**Irate Ignition!!!**_" screamed Shayla Shayla, causing a miniaturized volcanic eruption to seemingly rupture from out of the ground, downing another dozen bugrom.

"_**Walloping Winds!!!**_" shouted Afura Mann, as she brought forth several powerful horizontal but narrow gusts of wind, each one knocking over two bugrom.

"Hey… nice attack name, Afura!" shouted a grinning Shayla, after two bugrom began to flee in terror from one of her more _mild_ flame attacks.

"Thanks, Shayla!" replied Afura with a smile, "It's nice to actually get to name my own attacks for a change!"

These four individuals were perhaps the four that the bugrom had learned to fear the most throughout all of El Hazard. Perhaps quite appropriately, they tended to _fall like flies_ when fighting these four. However, Haruhi Suzumiya's 'special training' would come in handy for the bugrom once again.

In the midst of this chaos, one of the smaller bugrom had managed to evade all of the attacks, and was zeroing in on Miz Mishtal as she was about to summon forth an attack of her own. However, before she could pull it off, she actually found herself taken down by a superb bugrom tackle.

"_**AAaaahhhhh…!!!**_" shouted Miz, in horror.

"Miz!" exclaimed Sensei Fujisawa, as he rushed over to punch the bugrom aside.

The bugrom actually dodged Sensei Fujisawa's first two blows, but his third connected, sending the bugrom flying across the room, crashing into a wall and taking upon a shape in the wall that would make you think of an archeological find.

"Are you Ok, Miz?" asked Fujisawa, as he helped his fiancé to her feet.

"Yeah, I'll be fine" she answered, "We need to be careful though, Masamichi. The bugrom are better fighters now."

"You're right, dear" responded Sensei Fujisawa, before shouting out loudly in order for Afura and Shayla to hear him clearly through the noise of their own ongoing fighting, "Ok, everyone, stop hitting every bugrom in sight! We need to find Fatora **ASAP**! Let's get moving!"

Meanwhile, Makoto, Nanami and I were moving as quickly as we could down through the labyrinth maze of the Coruscate Caverns. While the differing paths of these caverns constituted a convoluted mess, they were thankfully free of any sort of animal live or traps that would pose any sort of serious threat to us. Oh, there were underground borrowing _insects_ down here, but they were thankfully not of the large bugrom variety.

While some parts of this network of cavernous corridors were very small and hence required crawling on all fours to pass through, Makoto and Nanami's flashlights served to keep the path in front of us at least always moderately well lit, ensuring that we never felt overly claustrophobic or hopeless entrapped within the enclosures. These flashlights shone up to at least a distance of ten feet in front of us. Parts of the caverns sparkled with a red unlike anything that I had seen on Earth; it was almost like see a new color. Truly, there really were metals on El Hazard unique to that magnificent world.

Makoto's grapping line and hook enabled us to swing down through steeper passageways, while Nanami's box lunches gave us nice rejuvenating snacks after about fifty minutes of traversing these caverns. My own powers, thankfully, protected us against any risk of a cave in. I was able to sense metallic deposits all around me, and hence I could force the metal to uphold the structural integrity of the cavern walls about us.

Finally, we cave to an incredibly large opening in the floor of one cave. The three of us exited out of this opening at the same time, with our backs to each other for defensive purposes. We didn't know just what might be awaiting us down here.

Well, we came to an _incredibly_ expansive opening at the bottom of these caverns. The opening was easily large enough to fit a small village in! The lining of the cavernous walls around us seemed to be made out of an enriched crystalline mesh of sorts that actually shone like a solidified aurora borealis!

"_**Wow…**_" said Nanami, "I've never seen anything quite like this before!"

"Nor have I" I had to admit in turn.

"Dr. Schtalubaugh and I could spend _days_ chipping away at the sides of this confined space, and examining what we could pry off by doing so!" shouted a mesmerized Makoto Mizuhara, "The scientific discoveries that could be made here are almost too vast to properly calculate! Still… the Bekyo plant is what we are here for! Let's try to put aside the visual wonder of this place in order to find it!"

"Right!" Nanami and I shouted simultaneously, focusing ourselves back on the task at hand.

After but a few minutes of searching around, we noticed a most puzzling sight. A rocky staircase, with a short incline, lead up to a central pillar. Situated around that central pillar at perfect ninety degree angles were four tall lampposts of sorts, each with tops that were reminiscent of lava lamp designs, and emanating a purplish glow. And growing out of that pillar was one… precisely one… Bekyo.

"This… set up…" I began, raising an eyebrow while making a frown, "Feels _very_ artificial to me."

"It's like the Arthurian legends of Great Britain back on Earth!" chimed in Nanami cheerfully, "The Bekyo is like the Excalibur sword in the stone."

"Ha!" laughed Makoto in sincere and non-condescending amusement over these words, "That's a neat way of thinking of it, Nanami. Still, I hope we won't have to endure a struggle, like King Arthur did, in order to get _our_ 'Excalibur' out of…"

Then, having been thoroughly _jinxed_ by Makoto's ill-timed words, a fiery bluish blast of energy struck violently just a few feet in front of the three of us; betwixt us and the Bekyo plant. Thankfully that was just a warning shot. Unfortunately, it was a warning shot from a very powerful source.

"You may not take the Bekyo plant!" came a familiar feminine shout that brought forth a stream of memories in Makoto's mind not unlike what one is said to experience just before death.

"_**I-Ifurita!!!**_" exclaimed Makoto, in utter disbelief, as he stared upwards at a female being of some sort that indeed looked exactly like the Ifurita he had told me about.

"Specifically, I am Ifurita _Eleven_" she corrected him, "I am a _unique_ Ifurita model as I have _no_ key staff master. Rather, I have but one task assigned to me that I must forever adhere to. That task is that I must forever guard the Bekyo plant from removal. I will not allow you three to take it!"

Here. **We go.** _Again._

_Sigh_

_**To be continued… !!!**_


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – The Illusions of Haruhi Suzumiya

It was becoming increasingly obvious to me that El Hazard was like a gorgeous sunset upon the horizon of gently rolling grassy hills of comely chrysanthemums… but with those hills doubling as a _minefield_. This, I think, serves as a fitting analogy for El Hazard. An enchanting and mysterious planet that draws you in with its winsome splendor, only to leave you caught by yet another shrouded snare. The shrouded snare in _this_ case was a Shadow Tribe assassin pretending to be a unique Ifurita model, as Nanami Jinnai would quickly bring to the attention of Makoto and me.

"…That's pretty sloppy for a Shadow Tribe member" stated Nanami, while making a proud smile that indicated that her and her brother weren't _entirely_ unlike each other, "I mean, I'd like to think that I'm notorious enough with _you guys_ by now that you know that _I_ can see through disguises as obvious as _that_ one is!"

"S-she's a Shadow Tribe member in disguise, Nanami?" asked Makoto in turn, barely able to believe that given how much like _his_ Ifurita that this Ifurita _Eleven_ looked.

"Yes, Makoto!" exclaimed Nanami in answer, while turning to face him, "Don't let this disguise get to you! It's probably meant to unnerve _you_ more than anything else!"

"It doesn't matter _who_ or _what_ you believe me to be" stated 'Ifurita Eleven', "The fact is that you either turn back now without the Bekyo plant or you will all _die_ at my hands!"

"**We're doing neither!**" I shouted in defiance, and while I used my magnetic powers to cause what appeared to be her key staff to fly out of her hands, and land one hundred meters away from where she was flying.

As the 'key staff' landed upon the ground, the illusion that had been about it quickly phased out. It was not a key staff of an El Hazard demon god, but rather the _Raging Heart_ sniper rifle of Nanoha Inverse! I immediately took notice of that.

"You're that Shadow Tribe female assailant from before!" I exclaimed at her.

"_Yes!_" she confirmed, as she flew down to attempt to slice a knife across my neck, "And I'm not letting you …", but unfortunately for her a metallic knife nearing my neck would automatically set off my magnetic powers, "stop me this time, Kyon!", but I _would_ as the knife was _also_ thrown out of her hands before it could be used against me.

I then grabbed hold of her now unexpectedly free hand, and used it to throw her to the ground. I attempted to leap on top of her as I had done in our previous battle, but her combat reaction time was a notch superior this time, and hence she managed to roll her body out of the way of my descending frame. She then quickly picked herself up off the ground, and _raced_ for her Raging Heart sniper rifle.

"Makoto!" shouted Nanami, "Her weapon… perhaps you can manipulate it with your powers!"

"Good thinking, Nanami!" Makoto said, "I'll go try to grab it before she can use it!"

Makoto hence chased after Nanoha while I gradually rose to my feet, and dusted myself off. Nanoha, having had quite the head start on Makoto in the rush for the Raging Heart, reached it before he did. However, in the time it took for her to catch her breath, and turn around, Makoto had caught up to her, and took hold of the portions of the shaft of the rifle that did not have Nanoha's hands on it.

"I'm shutting your weapon down!" shouted Makoto.

"_**No!**_" cried Nanoha in refractory reply.

After shaking _violently_ for a few brief moments, the Raging Heart suddenly released a bright scintillating burst of pure white light that cascaded all over this entire large enclosure within the Coruscate Caverns. Nanami and I instinctively shielded our eyes by throwing up our hands, while Makoto and Nanoha closed theirs as tightly as they could. Mind you, it was not their physical eyes that would be tested her, but rather an inner psychic, or perhaps even spiritual, vision.

Makoto and Nanoha found what I believe is best to call _psychic avatars_ of themselves meeting in a metaphysical plane, somewhat similar to the closed spaces that Itsuki Koizumi had introduced me to back on Earth. This metaphysical plane was immersed in white glowing light, while translucent pertinent images of the past, pertaining to whatever piece of El Hazard technology that Makoto was attempting to manipulate, would soar about his mind as though he was dreaming them in a subconscious state. Nanoha's own rare powers enabled her to enter into this metaphysical plane as well.

Makoto saw images of _Gihren Zala_ giving impassioned speeches to thousands upon thousands of sharply uniformed men in attendance. These speeches eerily reminded Makoto of what he had learned about Earth's _World War Two_ from Sensei Fujisawa, and in particular, about Japan's ally in that war… a fascist racist dictator by the name of _Adolf Hitler_.

The _mein kampf_ of Gihren Zala was extermination of the bugrom and shadow tribe, and Makoto saw images of torrid terrified Shadow Tribe members being slaughtered in hideous acts of maximum hatred. He saw a young Nanoha scampering for safety away from the thorough and relentless Gannon eradication of her small village and its inhabitants. Nanoha had seen her parents _liquefied _right in front of her eyes by a blast of El Hazard's closest equivalent to _napalm_. Her father's last act was to give Nanoha the Raging Heart to defend herself with while he intended to fight to his last breath to defend his daughter. Lord Galus had not made it quick enough to the village to save Nanoha's parents, but he was able to retrieve Nanoha, one of the very few survivors on this day.

Finally, Makoto also saw the scene of Alicia's tearful goodbye to Nanoha, after a few quick images of happier times shared by Alicia and Nanoha while in the presence of their mutual parents.

"_Now_ do you see, human of Earth?!" shouted a questioning Nanoha Inverse at Makoto Mizuhara while both were within this metaphysical plane, "Now do you see why I fight for the Shadow Tribe, and why I may never trust the humans of El Hazard?!"

"This… this is _horrible…_" stated Makoto, thunderstruck at the sights before him, "_Complete insane madness! _I… I never knew that such atrocities had been committed against the Shadow Tribe!"

"Well _now you do!_" stated Nanoha in turn, "Now you understand why… why I must fight to avenge Lord Galus, and Alicia!"

"I… I feel very sorry for you, Nanoha" stated Makoto, turning his avatar to face hers, "…But this is not _Itsuki Koizumi's_ doing! He had nothing to do with these monstrous acts! Stopping Kyon, Nanami, and I from saving him will not bring your parents or Alicia back!"

"_**H-how dare you?!**_" screamed Nanoha in turn, as she slapped Makoto in the face while both were within this metaphysical plane.

That slap had the effect of her _defeating_ Makoto in the struggle for control of the Raging Heart. Makoto and Nanoha's entire encounter on the metaphysical plane occurred within the blink of an eye for Nanami and I. So as the previous burst of white light eventually dispersed, the very first perception we saw was Makoto falling upon his back, and an enraged shouting Nanoha Inverse, her Ifurita Eleven disguise now completely removed, about to use her Raging Heart sniper rifle to shoot a devastating blow at him at _point blank range_!

"That is enough!" I shouted at her.

This time, I used my magnetic powers to lift her along with her Raging Heart sniper rifle, and drag both over to me. Nanoha's facial expression betrayed to me that she had not expected me to do this. That lack of expectation made it easier for me to grab the Raging Heart out of her grasp with one hand, and then push her to the ground with the other.

Nanoha was now trembling, sensing that she was simply outnumbered and outmatched by Makoto, Nanami, and I. Yet, she was of fierce temperament, and did not fold lightly.

"_**Give me that back!**_" she screamed at me, as she rapidly raised herself back to her feet, and tried to reach and maneuver around me in order to regain her Raging Heart staff.

"Give it up!" exclaimed Nanami at Nanoha, while pushing Nanoha back to the ground, "Look, we don't want to hurt you, but we're not letting you stop us from getting the Bekyo plant back to Itsuki Koizumi!"

Ura, wanting to bring this struggle to a definitive end, growled at Nanoha while Ura unfurled herself from around Makoto's torso. Ura then enwrapped herself around Nanoha's body from just above Nanoha's elbows to just below Nanoha's knees. Now, Nanoha _knew_ that she had been soundly defeated, as she was both unarmed and held tightly within Ura's hold. And then, Nanoha started to literally cry, as sorrowful tears of shame streamed down her pale blue cheeks.

"I… I'm sorry, Lord Galus…" she began while chocked up, "Please forgive me for failing you, Alicia…!"

Makoto and Nanami frowned at the sight of Nanoha in such intense emotional distress, as they couldn't help but to feel sorry for the girl… Makoto _especially_, as he had now become privy to what Nanoha had went through. However, neither Makoto nor Nanami could find the words to say to try to comfort Nanoha. Oddly enough, I was able to find the words to say to her.

"Listen…" I said softly to her, as I knelt down next to her, "I don't know why you're doing this, but it's pretty clear that you have some very deep seated emotional causes for your actions. If you would just give the rest of us a chance, I'm sure that we could help you."

"Why would you help me?" she asked in a sobbing tone, as even more tears poured forth, "Now that you see my pale blue Shadow Tribe skin, I'm sure that you just want to _incinerate_ me, right?!"

"**No!**" I exclaimed in response and after a tense pause, as I was _stunned_ by Nanoha's words here, "The color of your skin doesn't matter to me. In fact… you're _still_ kind of cute, if you ask me."

That caused Nanoha's crying to subside slightly.

"I… I wish the humans of El Hazard were like you humans of Earth…" Nanoha replied to me, given my compliment to her.

From Nanoha's words, it was clear that she had a tremendous grievance; likely a _legitimate_ tremendous grievance, with the humans of El Hazard. That being the case, I felt it was important to try to dissuade Nanoha from thinking in overly _stereotypical_ terms.

"Please listen to me…" I stated to her, "_Some_ humans _of El Hazard_ are just like Nanami, Makoto, and I, while some humans _of Earth_ can be… can be stupidly prejudicial and discriminatory. You have to stop judging people based on this group identity nonsense! People are _individuals_, and that's how you have to approach each individual person. I don't know what happened to this Alicia who you plainly care a lot about, but I _do_ know that the person that Makoto, Nanami and I are trying to save had _nothing_ to do with what happened to her. I _also_ know that there are good humans native to El Hazard that would not approve of whatever happened to her! Let all of us help you deal with whatever is hurting you so much. Just stop fighting us! Can you… can you agree to that?"

Nanoha thought very hard, but also very emotionally, over my words to her. She felt very conflicted internally. Her most coveted aspiration had been taking revenge upon the humans of El Hazard for Alicia, and to that end, to help further the causes of Lord Galus and Master Nahato. Now, however, her mind began to seriously grapple with ethical concerns and moral considerations that she had previously been able to silence, but found impossible to not listen to now.

"Will you give me my Raging Heart back?" asked Nanoha in turn, after taking a moment to compose herself, "_That_ is a cherished family heirloom to me, and the final gift from my late father to me…"

Makoto and Nanami looked nervously to one another over this suggestion. They feared it was a trick. So did I, truthfully. However, I desperately wanted to prove my good intentions to Nanoha.

"If we have Ura release you, and give you your Raging Heart back…" I began in answer to her, "Will you let us leave here with the Bekyo plant without attacking us further?"

"…Yes" she answered, after swallowing hard, knowing that this represented her betraying Lord Galus' wishes.

With that, I stood up, breathed a deep sigh, and… decided to trust her. I asked Ura to release Nanoha. Ura did so, and took her place back around Makoto's torso. I then slowly handed the Raging Heart over to Nanoha, passionately searching her eyes for the slightest sign of dishonesty while I did so. I could detect none. After I had completed handing the Raging Heart over to Nanoha, I took a couple steps back, and prepared myself for the worst, while hoping that Nanoha would stay true to her word to me.

"I _could_ strike you down now…" said Nanoha, finding the idea slightly tantalizing, "But… that would be wrong of me. You've given me a lot to think about, Kyon. I'm going to allow you and your friends to leave here in peace, and with the Bekyo plant. Over the next while, I'm… going to take a wider look around El Hazard, to try to discern for myself just what I ought to be doing; to determine if Lord Galus is right or not. Considering what we've now been through, Kyon, I'll leave you with my name: **Nanoha Inverse**!"

As she stated her name to me, she began to take flight, about to leave through the same opening that she had come through.

"Nanoha, wait!" Makoto cried after her, as he stretched an arm out towards the direction in which she was flying, "Take Kyon up on his _full_ offer! Let us help you!"

"It's Ok, Makoto" I stated to him, as I placed my hand on his uplifted arm, and began to gently push it downwards, "I can tell that she needs time by herself for now. She has some _very_ hard choices to make, and we can't expect her to make them all right now. However, I think… I think that she'll make the _right_ choice in the end."

Nanami breathed a _very_ deep sigh of relief.

"That was a mighty big risk that you took there, Kyon!" she shouted to me, "Bu it was kind of sweet of you too, I guess. Try to be careful though. _Sharp_ girls could take advantage of your good nature in _financial_ ways if you're not careful!"

Nanami stated that last sentence with a playful grin and a wink, managing to get Makoto and I to laugh slightly, breaking the tension somewhat.

"Ok then" stated Makoto, "Now let's get the Bekyo plant back to Dr. Schtalubaugh!"

Dr. Schtalubaugh, for his part, was carefully monitoring Itsuki at this moment. Koizumi had recently began tossing and turning and _yelling_ out, even though he was otherwise in a comatose state, and had been like that for quite some time now. This had Dr. Schtalubaugh very concerned, and most perplexed.

"_No_ Haruhi!" Itsuki had been crying, as in his dream… or, perhaps, _premonition…_ he saw images of Haruhi surrounded by flames; those flames dancing ever higher and higher, while a strange transparent gigantic man with a pale blue face and white hair laughed menacingly with clouds all about him.

"_Stay away_, Haruhi… **don't come to Florestica!**" he continued to cry, as in his dream he saw an actually tearful _SOS Man_ snarling up at the pale blue face man while Haruhi began to cough and wheeze and _stumble_ from the thick smoke formed in the wake of the flames.

"_**Nnnoooooo!!!**_" Itsuki continued to scream in abject horror, as he saw Yuki Nagato, her head lowered in shame.

Princess Rune Venus and Londs, while walking about the royal palace of Roshtaria, had been drawn to Itsuki's infirmary room by these alarming noises thinking that they meant that some sort of hazardous emergency had taken place; perhaps another chemistry experiment gone wrong. Dr. Schtalubaugh was able to reassure them, however, that the situation was purely centered about Koizumi.

"How long has he been like this, Dr. Schtalubaugh?" asked Princess Rune

"For about ten minutes now, Highness" answered Dr. Schtalubaugh, "Perhaps the toxins are starting to affect the portion of his mind that influences dreams. In any event, he appears to be having most horrid nightmares indeed!"

"Forgive me for being a bit insensitive, esteemed Doctor, but is there no way to quiet the young lad of Earth?" asked Londs in turn, "He is causing a lot of raucous! I fear that he may prove to be a costly distraction to the royal guard!"

"I… am fearful to do much of anything with Itsuki Koizumi, I'm afraid" answered Dr. Schtalubaugh, "I have no idea what trying to silence him, or restrain his movements, might do, given how his… _esper_ form, I believe Kyon called it, has been in effect since I first saw him. Any wrong move on the part of my staff or I may serve to only exacerbate matters!"

"_Sigh_" responded Londs, "I suppose we will need to tolerate his caterwauling for awhile longer."

"I can only hope, Londs, that we will not have to wait long!" exclaimed Dr. Schtalubaugh, "It all rests with Kyon, Makoto, and Nanami now!"

"Yes…" added in Princess Rune, "And I hope that we won't have to wait for Princess Fatora's rescue for very long either! This is _especially_ so since a special emergency meeting of the yet standing Alliance nations has been called for tomorrow early afternoon!"

Thankfully for Princess Rune, a certain Masamichi Fujisawa wouldn't leave her waiting too long. After quickly knocking out jailor Zeppo with a powerful bop upon the head from behind, Fujisawa then proceeded to deliver a simply fearsome kick to the door of Princess Fatora's prison cell!

"_Ha ha ha ha!!!_" laughed Sensei Fujisawa, as the dust and debris resulting from his devastating destroying of the prison cell door began to drift up and around him, "No mere door can block Super Fujisawa!"

Princess Fatora's initial response was actually a wide relieved smile, and being sincerely impressed over Sensei Fujisawa's might. If Sensei Fujisawa had been a woman, there's no doubt whatsoever that Fatora would be **all over** _her_ right now. However, Sensei Fujisawa's gender being what it was, Princess Fatora soon settled back into her more default personality and position.

"Well, it's _**about bloody time**_ that somebody rescued me!" she shouted in a highly displeased tone, "What took you so long?!"

"Ah… Shadow Tribe involvement, mainly, Princess" answered Sensei Fujisawa, while rubbing the back of his head, feeling a bit sheepish over Fatora's chiding of him.

"S-Shadow Tribe involvement!" exclaimed Fatora nervously, remembering the horrors that they had put her through, "Then we need to get out of here, and back to Florestica right now!"

"B-but what about Haruhi Suzumiya and Mikuru Asahina?" asked Sensei Fujisawa, "Miz, Afura, Shayla, and I have _already_ searched this fortress _high and low,_ and went through some _really tough fights_ in order to find you, Fatora. We're not about to let all that effort go to waste when it comes to retrieving Haruhi and Mikuru!"

"Don't worry about it!" responded Princess Fatora in reply, "Haruhi and Mikuru are headed off to Florestica anyway! While looking out my prison window, I caught a glimpse of them flying off alongside Katsuhiko Jinnai on top of one of the larger flying bugrom types!"

"_Gggrrrr…._" Sensei Fujisawa growled slightly, as he began to roughly run his hands through his hair, "Just what is Katsuhiko up to?! Why can't that mischief making malcontent leave good students out of his cockamamie schemes, huh?!"

"Forget about that for now!" commanded Princess Fatora, "Just get me out of here, and back to Florestica as fast as possible! I'm truly starting to miss Alielle!"

"No problem, Fatora!" responded Sensei Fujisawa, "Just follow behind me, and I'll gather up the Priestesses, and we'll be out of here faster than students running out of class when the recess bell rings!"

While Sensei Fujisawa, Princess Fatora, Afura Mann, Shayla Shayla, and Miz Mishtal, would soon be trying to break _out_ of the latest bugrom fortress, Katsuhiko Jinnai and Haruhi Suzumiya were trying to think of a way to break _into_ the capitol city of Florestica, while overlooking it from a hill that was only a few hundred feet away from its main gates.

"Why can't we just walk straight on in through the main gates?" asked Haruhi Suzumiya, "I mean, we _are_ in disguise after all!"

"_Because_ that's what they're probably _expecting_ us to do!" explained Katsuhiko Jinnai in answer, "But you and I are going to show _them_, Haruhi! I have concocted **the perfect plan** to get the two of us into the city while Groucho and Mikuru take the secret sewer route, dividing our rescue forces in two in order to make us _doubly_ hard to trap! This perfect plan will also take full advantage of my knowledge of Florestica guard shift routines, as our entrances will be made during a very precise ten minute interval when the guards of Florestica are undergoing shift changes leaving Florestica more open to invasion. As for the part of the plan that applies to just you and me, though, it's going to involve you using your _shape-changing _powers again."

"Oh?" asked Haruhi, getting excited over this idea, "How do you want me to use them _this_ time?!"

"_Wings_, Haruhi… _**wings**_!" exclaimed Jinnai in enthusiastic reply, "There's no particular reason why you can't give yourself big, gigantic, angelic wings is there? And with wide mighty wings, you'll be able to fly the two of us into Florestica with _great_ ease!"

"That's a really cool and creative idea!" shouted Haruhi in turn, "Ok… let me give it a try…"

Haruhi, while still in her Ryoko Asakura form and disguise, tired to formulate an image in her mind of what Asakura would look like with angelic wings that stretched ten feet out from each shoulder. Then she tried to _apply_ that image in her mind to her actual physical form. What ensued was the actualization of two large white feathery wings stretching out from each of Haruhi's two shoulder blades, unobstructed due to how she was wearing a halter top.

"Yes, _**you did it**_!" exclaimed Jinnai, energized at the sight of Haruhi so quickly producing the desired wings for his plan, before turning his back to her, "I knew that you could! _Now_, wrap your arms _**tightly**_ around my upper chest, and snugly under my arms, and fly the two of us in! Whatever you do… _**don't let go of me!**_"

"_**Right!**_" shouted Haruhi, as she did this, feeling a _rush_ of adrenaline over the idea of _actually flying_,"I promise that I won't drop you, Katsuhiko!"

Haruhi quickly took flight, leaving a very powerful gust of wind in the wake of her take off, and while carrying Jinnai along with her in exactly the manner of carriage as he had instructed. However, Haruhi's early ascension into the air was _far_ too fast, causing Jinnai to scream at Haruhi to slow down so that he could manage to _breath_. Haruhi hence adjusted her flight speed down to roughly twenty miles per hour.

"I'm _flying_, Katsuhiko… I'm _**actually flying**_!" exclaimed an exuberant Haruhi, "This is the coolest moment _**ever**_!"

"Bwa-ha-ha-Ha-Ah-Ha-**HAHA****HAHA**_**HAHA**_!!!" laughed Katsuhiko Jinnai, exultant over the experience of this moment as well, "You better watch out, Ma_ko_**to**! My new ultimate girlfriend is _**excellent!**_"

"_K-Katsuhiko!_" shouted Haruhi in turn, as she actually blushed _deeply_ over Jinnai's overzealous comment involving her as though she wasn't even there to hear it, "You're not supposed to say something like that _**out loud!**_"

"Oh. Sorry. Force of habit." responded Jinnai in a very forthright tone.

"Still…" stated Haruhi, "If Makoto Mizuhara has _anything_ to do with the _**unforgivable**_ treatment being done to Itsuki, he _sure as hell_ better watch out!"

Katsuhiko Jinnai was now slightly regretting not blaming _everything_ on Makoto from the moment Sasuke gave his report to the Bugrom Queen and him. Still… such regrets, and even worries of a trap, were barely enough to dishearten Jinnai at _this_ moment. He was pumped like never before! Since Haruhi Suzumiya had landed into his world, virtually _everything_ had been coming up _roses_ for Jinnai.

A restored Bugrom Empire. Dominating a fight with Makoto Mizuhara while dressed as SOS Man. A reclaimed Gannon. A larger circle of friends and confidants, including Mikuru Asahina who Jinnai had to admit could be fun and amusing to have around.

And best of all was Haruhi Suzumiya herself. She was constantly proving to be _everything_ that Jinnai could have ever _hoped_ for in an ally, and, he suspected, in a girlfriend. She had a certain _raw_ energy and lack of _firm_ focus to her that Jinnai would need to work with her on in order to refine, but that was a _far_ more pleasant problem than, say, the bugrom cowering away from Shayla Shayla in spite of Jinnai telling them to attack Shayla. Also, Haruhi's shape-changing super powers were continuing to be of immense usefulness to Jinnai, while Haruhi's courage and zest for life made it _easy_ for Jinnai to carry out a mission like this alongside of her. Jinnai was indeed flying high in more ways than one right now.

"You've just about scaled the city walls, Haruhi!" shouted a cheerful Jinnai, "Once you can see over them, try to find a nice secluded and unlit city corner to land us in!"

"I'll have no problem doing that!" responded an equally cheerful Haruhi in turn, "While we can't forget that Itsuki is our _main_ reason for being here, it's really great to _finally_ get out and see more of El Hazard!"

It only took a couple minutes for Haruhi to scale the city walls, and find the perfect spot upon which to land her and Jinnai. She then released Jinnai from her hold.

"_Aaahhh…_" stated Jinnai, taking in a couple of deep breaths to relax himself, "Ok, now… we're going to have to be _a lot_ more inconspicuous and quiet from here on in. So, first of all, you need to retract the wings."

Haruhi did as instructed, but was a bit saddened to do so. She didn't like _coming down_ off of the previous _incredible rush_ like this.

"Why do we have to be inconspicuous and quiet?" asked Haruhi in a tone of slight irritation, "Why can't we just go _rough up_ all the opposition here in the city until we _force_ them to bring us to Itsuki?!"

"There's just too many of them" answered Jinnai in turn, "Based on Sasuke's reconnaissance reports there's at least a _thousand_ royal guards in this city. Look, Haruhi, that's too many _even for you_ with your awesome powers, Ok? Brute force alone won't do here. This mission calls for _skill_ and _finesse_."

"…Yeah, I guess that you're right" answered Haruhi, a bit dejectedly, "After we save Itsuki, though, you and I should go flying like that again! It was really fun!"

"Yes, sure, definitely" responded Jinnai, his mind a bit distracted from Haruhi's playful words as there were many serious concerns running through his mind, "But, again, you need to keep your voice down now, _Ok?_"

"…Ok" replied Haruhi in the slightest whisper she could manage, "Is _this_ good?"

"Yes. That's perfect pitch and volume", answered Jinnai, "Now follow closely behind me while we sneak from one shaded area to the next, until we reach where Groucho and Mikuru should be. Do your best to not get caught."

Haruhi and Jinnai moved quickly from one building or house to the next to the next, with Jinnai often peering out over the side of one house to make sure he didn't move until the coast was clear, and Haruhi did the same by leaning out just above him to ensure a lack of possible captors as well. In a strange way, Haruhi _did_ find this kind of exciting. It was shady _trespassing_, after all, and engaging in such unlawful activity was very liberating to Haruhi after all the time that she had spent following tight procedure and protocol as Bugrom Queen. There was also a certain dynamic flare to Katsuhiko Jinnai and his way of phrasing and saying things that assured that there was also at least _some_ excitement around where he was. Haruhi found that very appealing in Jinnai, particularly in how he was fine with her being _her_ natural dynamic self as well. She could tell that it didn't annoy him _in the least_ as it sometimes did with me.

After eluding roughly two dozen night patrol guards, and after passing by _several_ dozen houses and a few streets, Haruhi and Jinnai finally came to a secluded sewer exit where Groucho and a quaking in dirt and fear Mikuru were waiting for them.

"T-those sewers were grimy, icky, and gross!" complained Mikuru as her clothes were now stained with dirt and some wet sewage, and also since she was now back in the presence of people who could understand English.

"Well, at least you're out of the sewers now, Mikuru" responded Haruhi, "While we go rescue Koizumi, I'll find some new clean clothes to steal for you!"

"Good idea" chimed in Jinnai, before turning his attention to Groucho, "Groucho, you didn't happen to run across any sort of traps in our secret sewer route into Florestica, did you?"

"None at all, boss." replied Groucho, "I think that Queen Haruhi is right, boss. There's no trap here… just a bunch of callous mad scientist experimenters that need to be taught a lesson in bugrom justice!"

"_**Right!**_" added in Haruhi, motioning theatrically with her arms, "Ok, now…"

"_Now_ it's finally time to completely _entangle you_, my dear Haruhi Suzumiya" stated Lord Galus from within his Shadow Tribe observation laboratory lair, having watched _all_ of Katsuhiko Jinnai and Haruhi Suzumiya's movements of the past hour through the cameras attached to the following invisible Yuki Nagato, "We are now but moments away from the Shadow Tribe's complete and utter revenge on all of El Hazard, gentleman!"

"Are you sure that you _still_ want to go ahead with this, Lord Galus?" asked Shadow Tribe lead scientist Fausto, "My colleagues and I… have some remaining reservations."

"Tell me, Fausto…" began Lord Galus in explanation, "What happens when a father gives his energetic young spark plug of a daughter _everything_ that she wants… only to then take it all away from her in the very next moment?"

"I… I imagine it makes her quite angry and rebellious, my Lord" answered Fausto, "Indeed such a thing may even enrage her against the wider world itself!"

"Precisely, Fausto" stated Lord Galus, "Now suppose that _a creation_ **lethally** attacks its very creator, attempting to _destroy_ that creator. What happens _then_, Fausto?"

"Well, my liege, the creator in _this_ scenario is liable to try to _destroy_, or at least greatly reconfigure or put to rest, the creation in question!"

"Right again, Fausto!" replied Lord Galus, "So your _colleagues_ and you should dispatch with your ill-considered _reservations_ because in Haruhi Suzumiya we're about to have _both_ the rebellious daughter _and_ the vengeful deity **in one**! Hence, Haruhi will unquestionably respond _quite_ nastily to what we do next to her, _destroying_ or _forever changing_ this world in her wake!"

Lord Galus than made a specific command into the microphone that was electronically linked into Nahato's headset.

"_Now_, Nahato!" exclaimed Galus, "Cast _the illusion of reunion_!"

Haruhi, Jinnai, Mikuru, and Groucho were all debating over what to do next. Haruhi favored a more direct _capture an unsuspecting night patrol officer and interrogate him_ approach. Jinnai argued instead that the four of them should head directly into the central royal tower of Florestica after tricking the guards into getting themselves drunk with sleeping potions that Groucho had carried with him; once inside the central royal tower, they'd split up and search _every room_ for Koizumi if necessary. Groucho was worried about being spotted, and hence tended to favor Haruhi's plan. Mikuru wanted to keep fisticuffs down to a minimum, and hence favored Jinnai's plan. This debate would be put to a quick end by three voices that magnificently surprised Haruhi and Mikuru however.

"Miss Suzumiya!" came Itsuki's voice.

"Haruhi!" came _my_ voice

"Haruhi Suzumiya!" came Yuki Nagato's voice.

Haruhi turned around, her mouth opened wide and her mind in effective shock over the sounds of the voices of her three missing SOS Brigade members. Haruhi, Mikuru, Jinnai, and Groucho all saw the strangely glowing forms of Itsuki Koizumi, Yuki Nagato, and me running towards Haruhi while all three made bright open smiles and called out to her! 'We' were about one hundred meters away from where Haruhi and Mikuru were standing.

With this incredibly sudden and unexpected reunion with her full SOS Brigade upon her, Haruhi became fully enraptured; she was even happier than what she had recently been while flying with Katsuhiko Jinnai. Mikuru was equally jubilant. Groucho was excited for his Queen… but _slightly_ suspicious of this. Jinnai was _very_ suspicious of this.

"_Koizumu!_ _**Kyon!!**_" exclaimed Haruhi in joyous jubilation, as she turned from looking like _Ryoko Asakura_ and back into looking like _Haruhi Suzumiya_, and she raced towards _the images _of Koizumi and me running in her direction.

"_**Yuki!**_" added in Mikuru in exclamation, as tears of joy flowed forth from her eyes, "Haruhi and I were _so_ worried about all three of you."

Nahato chuckled contemptuously over how he had fooled Haruhi and Mikuru with his cruel cold-hearted illusion.

The tense Jinnai could only look on as Haruhi and Mikuru sprinted wildly towards their friends… or so they thought.

"Boss…" begin Groucho in question, "Why is the one called Yuki smiling? She _never_ smiles in _any_ of the pictures that Haruhi showed us! It seems _strange_ to me, boss!"

"That's not the worst of it, Groucho…" added in Jinnai, _sweating bullets_ as he could just tell that a trap was going to be sprung _any second now_, "Haruhi was disguised as Ryoko Asakura when those three over there arrived. _**How did they know that she was Haruhi?!**_"

_Then_ Jinnai heard a sound that sent shivers right up his spine. He heard the distinctive sound of a demon god phasing in, _and_ of her beginning to charge up her key staff for a blast of energy. Jinnai looked up at where the sound was coming from, and… he saw the _real_ Yuki Nagato, in a costume just like Ifurita's, and about to discharge a blast of energy right into Haruhi Suzumiya's back!

Yuki Nagato would have _cried_ over what she was about to do if she didn't have such perfect control over her emotions. She hesitated ever so slightly, as she _hated_ what she was about to do, and she hated it with _every fiber of her being_.

Katsuhiko Jinnai's heart jumped a beat. Yuki's slightest hesitation gave him the chance to make _the hardest split second decision of his entire life._ It was a decision for which _his mind_ was in complete conflict with _his heart_.

Jinnai was by no means a coward, but he did have a keen sense of self-preservation. He knew that evading demon god fire would be no small task. He knew that if he wanted to save his own hide he should _get_ _the hell out of dodge_ **right now**.

But… his heart was telling him that he _had_ to save Haruhi Suzumiya. He had to make sure that she lived through this night! He couldn't let the _cold calculating __**bastard**_ that would do something _so evil_, and _so vicious_, as _this_, to the young woman that he had come to adore, get away with it! He would not abandon Haruhi to this most insidious and wicked of traps!

"_**Haruhi!**_" he exclaimed in heart-racing desperation, has he raced towards her as fast as his legs could carry him, "_You have to move out of the way!_ **NOW!** _**Please!**_"

Haruhi was too distracted by the sheer elation that she felt over seemingly being reunited with Koizumi, Nagato, and I to even notice Jinnai's passionate cries. However, as her attempt to hug 'me' merely caused her arms to pass throw a fading mist, dark realizations started to come to her as well.

"K-Kyon?" she asked, "_**W-w-what's going on here?!**_"

Haruhi Suzumiya turned around, and gulped in terrible fright, as she was now _certain_ that Katsuhiko Jinnai _had been right_; this _was_ a trap! She turned around just fast enough to see two blazing fast images cross her eyes. One was a dark purple blast of thunderous energy great enough to slice a golf ball sized hole through _solid steel_ heading directly at her… the other was Katsuhiko Jinnai reaching her _just in time_ to push her out of its ways, causing her to fall upon her butt!

Haruhi was completely petrified by the time Jinnai had reached her, however, and this caused her body to have firmed up considerably. It took all the strength Jinnai had to simply move Haruhi, leaving him unable to also move himself. And hence, what happened next was the most traumatic sight that Haruhi ever saw…

"_**Aaaarrrrggghhh…!!!**_" cried Jinnai in _excruciating_ pain, as the blast intended for Haruhi shot _straight through_ **his** chest instead.

Blood _spurted_ out of Jinnai in dangerous amounts, much of it landing on Haruhi's horrified face, on her blouse, on her skirt, and on her arms, as she looked up to get a close up view of Jinnai getting taken out by this blast. Jinnai gripped his chest… but only briefly. His pupils rolled into the back of his head, while his entire body crumpled to the ground like a puppet that had just had all its strings cut off. Jinnai landed upon his back… **dead.**

"K-Kat-_Katsuhiko!!!_" screamed Haruhi, in supreme shock and terror.

Mikuru _screeched_ in horror.

"_**Boss!**_" exclaimed Groucho, as he leapt over to his best bud's fallen form.

"Katsuhiko!" shouted Haruhi again, as she crawled over to a spot where she could look down on his now lifeless face.

Haruhi took hold of Jinnai's shoulders with all of her might, and began _pounding_ them up and down against the ground.

"**Wake up!**" she cried in a chocked tone of voice, as tears began to pour forth from her eyes, and her mouth turned into a frown of great sadness, "I'm telling you to _wake up_, Katsuhiko! **Get up!!!**"

Yuki Nagato wanted to _kill_ Galus at this moment, as she watched on from above, unable to make herself take another shot at Haruhi given the _horrible_ sight below her.

"_Boss!_" sobbed a choked up Groucho, as three of his eyes began crying profusely.

"_**NNNNOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!**_" exclaimed Haruhi in deafening shout, having gathered Jinnai into her arms, and with tears streaming down her eyes.

"How you have _fallen_, Katsuhiko Jinnai!" commented a widely smirking Galus from afar, "All it took to make you so _recklessly_ risk your own life was a charming face and a female friend. _Ha ha ha ha!___From admirably brilliant and ruthless military tactician to _foolish romantic hero_; I do not envy you your _epitaph_, Jinnai! _**Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!**_"

**To be continued…!!!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 – The Rage of Haruhi Suzumiya

A storm unlike any other that I had witnessed before was now discharging all about Makoto, Nanami, and I as we crawled out of the Coruscate Caverns, with the Bekyo plant with us. At the apex of this storm lay the Bugrom Empire, with its Supreme Commander now _dead_ after making the ultimate sacrifice for the Bugrom Queen, which in turn had left _her_ in a _decidedly_ unbalanced mental state.

As Itsuki Koizumi had made clear to me many times before, Haruhi Suzumiya falling into a lack of mental stability is a harbinger of _very_ unwelcome news for the world as a whole. The only difference _this_ time is that the world being affected is not _Earth_, but rather _El Hazard_.

El Hazard, on a _planetary_ level, had now been plunged into consummate chaos. _Closed spaces_ had begun appearing _all over_ El Hazard, causing deep fissures to form in the crust of El Hazard's surface, which meant severe earthquakes in diverse locales for El Hazard. Also appearing all over El Hazard were severe weather anomalies…

"Lord Galus!" exclaimed the Shadow Tribe scientist charged with monitoring weather conditions throughout El Hazard, "Acute thunderstorms, complete with caustic rain, are suddenly occurring in… the northern most portion of Dorasland, the western most portion of Roshtaria, within a two hundred cubic secordia region just a couple hundred secordias south of the latest Bugrom fortress, and… _**my word**_, there's not a signal country or notable region _throughout the entire planet_ that isn't now suffering from thunderstorms!"

"_**Sire!**_" exclaimed a second Shadow Tribe scientist; one charged with monitoring the planet's tectonic plates for any possible seismic activity, "We have at least five major earthquakes to report! We have earthquakes measuring 5.1, 5.8, 6.4, 7.1, and 7.7 all on the _Brodeur_ scale! Two of these five are within bodies of water, and hence may lead to tsunamis!"

El Hazard's _Brodeur_ scale is a slightly higher measurement than the Earth's _Richter_ scale, but otherwise the two operate the same.

"It's obvious that these are not merely highly unusual yet natural meteorological conditions or weather phenomena, Lord Galus" stated Fausto, "They correlate considerably well with the precipitous sharp rise in almost all of Haruhi Suzumiya's vital signs. She is precariously close to a state of _medical shock_, sire."

"_My… _Katsuhiko Jinnai has certainly come to mean a great deal to her, hasn't he?" asked Galus with a bemused grin, and in response to these words, "If I had suspected that sooner, I would have simply had him ordered _killed_ while within her presence. Still… that's beside the point. **My gamble has paid off!**"

"_Gamble_, sire?" asked Fausto, a bit taken aback by Galus' statement here.

"_Educated guess_ would be a better term, on second thought, Fausto" stated Galus, "It stands to reason that if Haruhi Suzumiya can activate her vast creative and reality altering powers out of mere whimsical desires that she ought to be able to do so with her very life in jeopardy. Even if Jinnai had not taken that blast for her, and _she_ had been struck down by it, the brief moment of life she'd have before dying would likely see her unleash the _penultimate pandemonium_ much like what she has so _blessed_ us with now."

"I… see, sire" responded Fausto, finding Galus' rationale a bit esoteric here, "In any event, sire, _Yuki Nagato_ has not taken any additional shots at Haruhi. Given Jinnai's unexpected involvement, she ceased her attacks, as she wasn't sure if that unexpected involvement would require a reconfiguring of your plans, Galus. That is what she is telling me through my link-up with her, anyway, sire."

"A _convenient_ yet _plausible_ excuse on Yuki Nagato's part designed _purely_ to stall for time" stated Galus in turn, "But I have been a patient man long enough. With the final act in full bloom before us right now, it is time to now bring down _the final curtain!_ Order Yuki Nagato to fire once more on Haruhi Suzumiya!"

"As you command, Lord Galus!" shouted Fausto in reply.

Haruhi had never been more melancholic than she was right now. For _years_ she had hoped to find an unordinary person who was at the center of exceptional activity and circumstances. Given his charismatic command of an entire alien empire, and Haruhi's awareness of that fact, Katsuhiko Jinnai had become that person for her. His quick adapting to Haruhi's presence in his life, as well as his genuine kindness towards her, had turned an unwrapped fascination into an incredibly unexpected gift of romance. Haruhi had held that _love_ was a mental disease; in spite of her recent decision to dispense with that previous position, it was now appearing to hold true…

"**W-why has this happened?!**" she asked, of nobody in particular, in a high pitch heavyhearted voice as tears seeped down her cheeks like rapidly falling droplets of dew off of tree leaves, "_Who would want to do this to me?_"

Alas, _many_ people now would, Haruhi, particularly given the restoration of your bugrom features…

"_**T-the Bugrom Queen herself!**_" exclaimed the lead runner in a group of five Florestica night patrol guards in loud whisper to his four brothers in arms, as they raced towards her from an adjoining street, with Haruhi and Mikuru's earlier shouts having been impossible for them to ignore.

All five began to point their electrocution rifles at Haruhi, expecting to earn for themselves much honor and glory from Princess Rune Venus and Roshtaria as a whole, for _this_ monumental capture or kill. Haruhi was too engulfed within disbelieving grief to even take notice of how she had gone from Nagato's frying pan and likely into the fire of the rifles of the Roshtarian guards. Groucho was trying desperately to calm the screeching Mikuru while attempting to contain his own emotions, hence his attention was not on the Roshtarian guards either.

"Who is she holding?" whispered a curious second guard to the lead runner who had been the first to take notice of her.

"Hhhmmm…" answered the lead runner, as he peered around and attempted to size up the face of young man currently held in Haruhi's arms, "He looks like an older worker… _wait, no…_ those facial features! T-that's the notorious _Katsuhiko Jinnai_!"

"_**What luck! What fortune!**_" exclaimed a third guard, "The Bugrom Queen _and_ the top Bugrom General both _in one night!_ Tonight we _sever_ the entire head of the Bugrom Empire! Tonight we send that oppressive empire back to the grave! _**For the Preservation of Roshtaria!!!**_"

"_**For the Preservation of Roshtaria!!!**_" the other four patrol guards shouted, as all were about to electrocute Haruhi right on the spot.

Oddly enough, Yuki Nagato would be the one to stop them.

"_Begone_" she stated to them, as she caused a small and localized, but intensely powerful, gust of wind to blow the five screaming guards aside, "This is _not_ Roshtaria's concern. This is _my_ concern."

_This_ was not something that Haruhi, Groucho, or Mikuru could fail to notice, however…

"_Y-Yuki_" stated Haruhi, not sure if she should believe that this was really Yuki after the trap that she had earlier fallen into, "Is that _really you_, Yuki?!"

"Get away from **my Queen**, _you traitorous butcher!_" exclaimed an enraged Groucho at Yuki Nagato, as he had seen how _she_ had been the one to shoot the blast at Haruhi, "I will avenge the death of my best friend, _**the great Katsuhiko Jinnai!**_"

Groucho leapt at Yuki with all of his might… but unfortunately for the noble, in his own way, bugrom soldier, he was easily knocked aside by one nimble crescent swipe of Nagato's energized key staff.

Haruhi was stunned by Groucho's words. She wondered what he had meant by them. Did he mean that Yuki Nagato had actually been the person to try to kill her, but instead striking down Katsuhiko?

"I-is what Groucho saying correct, Yuki?" asked Haruhi, "Were _you_ actually the one to attack me, and hurt Katsuhiko?!"

"I have not yet come to fully understand bugrom" began Yuki in answer, "As such I do not know what the bugrom called _Groucho_ said to you. However, I will confirm that, yes, Haruhi Suzumiya, I _am_ the one to attack you, and hence indirectly maim Katsuhiko Jinnai severely."

"Why, Yuki… _**why?!**_", screamed Haruhi Suzumiya in loud questioning discordance, and with such force that saliva spurted out of her mouth while tears continued to stream down her cheeks, "Why would you try to hurt me like that?!"

"I am not allowed to answer that question, Haruhi Suzumiya" answered Yuki Nagato, as she pointed her key staff at Haruhi, at point blank range, and began charging it up for another blast, "…_Goodbye_, my former friend."

Haruhi's afflicted sense of shocking and supreme personal loss had been the catalyst to her unknowingly unleashing environmental horrors all over El Hazard. However, until now, her emotions were an intoxicating mixture of unfocused anger and miserable bereavement. With Yuki's revelation to Haruhi, though, that had changed. Haruhi now had a vehement rage precisely pinpointed on Yuki Nagato. Haruhi's pupils flashed a bright and foreboding red, while her mouth made an almost animalistic sneer. She was about to conscientiously lash out violently, just as Galus had wanted. Was this the end of El Hazard?!

Some say that in emergency situations the most unlikely of _saviors_ will rise to the occasion. Some say that it is often the meek and mild, businesslike person who frequently goes unnoticed that will spring into action during such a crisis, leaving others astounded by the sight. The girl in the club room that is submissive. The girl that nobody suspects of inner courage and zeal…

"_**Mi-Mi-Mikuru Beam!!!**_" shouted Mikuru Asahina, as a bright pink, wide angle, photonic blast of vibrating energy shot forward out of her right eye, and directly against the front of Yuki Nagato!

Yuki Nagato was sent shooting backwards with explosive velocity, crashing through three small Florestica houses, before knocking up against the city walls of Florestica! She had left broken boards, shattered windows, crumbled and exposed bluish house insulation, and billowing dust and debris, in her wake. Yuki's face betrayed no pain, but her arms and legs did writhe considerably as she rose to her feet.

"_**Don't give up, Haruhi!**_" exclaimed Mikuru, as she bid forth every iota of courage and confidence that she had within her buxom breasts, and began to move and pose like the magical girls that she had enjoyed watching in animated shows when she had been younger, "Don't submit to the vile traps that have been set for you! Believe in Yuki, believe in me, believe in yourself, and believe in Katsuhiko! Believe with all of your heart that he will be alive at the end of this day **and he will be!** N-now… I will stop Yuki from hurting you while I try to save her from whatever is causing her to act this way! You and Katsuhiko _get to safety!_"

"Mi-Mikuru!" shouted Haruhi Suzumiya, rendered almost speechless, yet also deeply touched, by Mikuru's shocking heroics here.

The sight of a Mikuru Beam, given that the _last_ time it had been seen was due to a deliberate wish on Haruhi's part, coupled with Mikuru's stirring words, gave Haruhi renewed belief and hope! Closing her eyes tightly, Haruhi did as Mikuru had instructed. She believed with all of her heart that Katsuhiko Jinnai would live once more! _And…_

"…_**Gggaaahhh…!!!**_" hawked Jinnai, as he coughed up blood.

Katsuhiko Jinnai's punctured heart had been miraculously made whole again. His internal bleeding had also ceased, while new blood simply appeared in his body replacing the great amounts previously lost. With Jinnai's _literal_ heart restored, Haruhi's _figurative_ heart would be mended as well.

"Katsuhiko!" cried Haruhi, as she smiled widely, and as tears _of joy_ now poured forth from her eyes, "Y-you're _alive!_ Thank goodness… _**you're alive!!!**_"

"_**Re…**_" Jinnai began in hoarse statement, "**…treat!!! **We… must get… out of… **here! **I'm still… bleeding, damn it! _Tofu… _get me… to Dr. … **Tofu!**"

"Yes, of course!" replied Haruhi, "I'm not going to let you die on me, Katsuhiko!"

".._Uuunnnnhhhh_" groaned Groucho, finally coming too from Nagato's earlier attack against him, "W-wait up for me, my Queen!"

Haruhi greatly enlarged her _bugrom_ wings. She also changed the shape of her right hand into that of an elongated snake, and used it to wrap it around Jinnai's open wound, applying both secure pressure and a makeshift seal of sorts to the wound. It would later leave Haruhi's right hand stained with a lot of blood, but it would also serve to cut off Jinnai's bleeding.

"Try to hold your breath!" shouted Haruhi to Jinnai, as she leapt into the air, and vertically ascended with breathtaking soaring speed!

Groucho leapt after his Queen and Supreme Commander as well as he could.

Before becoming entangled within Galus' little fiasco, Katsuhiko Jinnai had seen to it that a small Bugrom support team was set up just outside of Florestica. This support included one of the relatively few bugrom medic members. After Jinnai's addition to the Bugrom Empire, then Queen Diva felt that it was important to have at least a couple of Bugrom medic members trained in applying medical aid to humans. Haruhi's ascension to the Bugrom throne had made such bugrom medic members knowledgeable in human anatomy that much more important. As such, with Jinnai and Haruhi both on this mission to retrieve Koizumi, the bugrom _Dr. Tofu_ was part of the support team situated just outside of Florestica. Haruhi now attempted to fly Jinnai to this Dr. Tofu as quickly as possible. Thankfully, the fulminating fight between Mikuru Asahina and Yuki Nagato had provided a useful distraction to Haruhi in that endeavor.

"_Ahhh…_ ahhh… _ahhhh_!" shouted Mikuru, as she shot three brightly colored narrow bolts of energy at Yuki Nagato, as Yuki methodically walked towards her, deflecting each blast aside with a casual swinging of her key staff.

"Your initial _Mikuru Beam_ was highly impressive" stated Yuki Nagato, "I even will say that I am not able to _copy_ that attack. Regardless, these _smaller_ blasts are entirely ineffectual against me. You will need stronger blasts than them if you hope to subdue me, Mikuru Asahina."

"You say that as though you _want_ me to subdue you, Yuki!" shouted Mikuru in turn.

"I… make no comment on your observation" replied Yuki, as she began to point her key staff directly at Mikuru, "I _will_ reveal, though, that seeing Haruhi Suzumiya take upon herself the form and features of _Ryoko Asakura_ has further restored my memory data banks by approximately 7.895341 percent. I… now hold a clearer sense of the person I used to be. The incongruence between the person I o_nce_ was and the person that I am _now_ is discomposing."

"Then stop being like the person that you are now!" exclaimed Mikuru in turn, "It's not too late to be the Yuki Nagato that Haruhi and I both consider a dear friend!"

"_That…_" began Yuki Nagato, as she began to engage in rapid fire blasts of white pulsating energy at Mikuru, "…is where you are…", resulting in Mikuru screaming in dissonance while thrown about violently by the blasts, failing to dodge them outright, "…_wrong_, Mikuru".

Mikuru landed face first unto the ground. Yuki Nagato than aimed her key staff directly at Mikuru's head, angling at it from above.

"I am **not** ordered to kill **you**, Mikuru" stated Yuki, "I give you an opportunity to extradite yourself from our struggle, and remove yourself from my assigned path. I would advise you to take advantage of that opportunity. I… would be _pleased_ if you took it, as it would allow me to conserve energy for _actual_ objectives."

"I-I'm not going to be scared anymore!" shouted a deviant Mikuru in turn, quickly moving to her feet, while Yuki adjusted her key staff to match Mikuru's movements, "I'm _not_ running away from my battles! You and I are both supposed to closely monitor Haruhi Suzumiya, and ensure that she maintains sound emotional well being! That is your _initial function_, Yuki; given to you by the integrated data entity!"

Yuki Nagato was slightly taken aback at further mention of the integrated data entity. More to the point, however, was how Yuki Nagato felt that she may have encountered a most useful _programming loophole_. Presuming that Mikuru was telling her the truth, then was it possible that Yuki had a function; _had a primary objective_; that **superseded** the stated desires of the key staff holder?

"I… now am 98.97 percent certain that the integrated data entity is a being that is part of existence and not merely a fictional creation foisted upon me by those who wish to impede the goals of the master of the key staff" stated Yuki Nagato, "Regardless, unless I can regain connectivity with this integrated data entity, the goals of the master of the key staff must take precedence. Hence…"

Yuki Nagato swung her key staff hard and fast at Mikuru's head, attempting to knock her out cold. Amazingly, Mikuru managed to dodge this attack, and…

"_**Mikuru Beam!!!**_" shouted Mikuru Asahina, as a bright pink, wide angle, photonic blast of vibrating energy shot forward out of her right eye, and directly against the side of Yuki Nagato.

This _second_ Mikuru Beam had not sent Yuki Nagato flying, but it _had_ left her markedly damaged.

"Lord Galus" stated Fausto, watching the battle between Yuki Nagato and Mikuru Asahina from afar, "Yuki Nagato has been severely damaged by the impacts of the two Mikuru Beams. It's not as localized as was the case when Masamichi Fujisawa dealt injurious blows to her, but it's still cause for concern, my liege."

"_Sigh_" responded Lord Galus, setting into his large spacious chair in a very languishing fashion, "Then my plans have been undone this day given this _vexatious_ turn of events. However, at least we now have confirmation of what Haruhi Suzumiya's powers can do on an _environmental_ level. Such information should prove useful in formulating a contingency plan. Have both Yuki Nagato, and Nahato, pull back here to our Shadow Tribe headquarters!"

"Yes, sire!" exclaimed Fausto in turn, before making those orders known to both Yuki Nagato and Nahato.

With that, Yuki Nagato quickly took flight, leaving Mikuru behind to futilely call out to her. Nahato, in turn, found it easy to exit Florestica given the commotion all about it at this late hour. Londs and his elite forces scurried all about Florestica, looking for the cause of the commotion within the city gates, but they were too far from the source of it to find it before Nagato had taken her leave. Furthermore, Princess Rune Venus and Dr. Schtalubaugh were distracted _both_ by disastrous weather reports that Schtalubaugh was picking up as well as by Nanami and I delivering the Bekyo plant to them! Meanwhile, Makoto had decided to break off from Nanami and I to see what could be causing such an incredible raucous around the streets and town houses within Florestica. Lastly, Sensei Fujisawa, Princess Fatora, and the Three Priestesses were only a couple hours away from _returning_ to Florestica.

"T-this burning rain is _**horrific**_!" screamed a highly displeased Fatora, as the Haruhi caused abnormal weather conditions were vexing her considerably, "It's starting to ruin my lavish and luxurious long flowing gown!"

"Well, Princess, if you would just sit underneath the shading provided by the sails of the Camerock…" stated Sensei Fujisawa in reply.

"**Never!**" exclaimed Fatora in reply, "I've spent more than enough time in dingy shadows! Beyond that, I've been repeatedly groped against my wishes by icky bugrom arms! I now desire to experience _full fresh freedom!_"

"_Sigh_" stated Shayla Shayla, "_Man_, you can be a hard one to please some time! Aren't you at least glad that we saved your sorry butt?!"

"How _**dare you**_ address me in such an uncouth manner!" shouted Fatora in turn.

"Given your choice of _past times_, Princess, I'm… not altogether certain that you're in a position to talk about what's _uncouth_ or not" stated Afura Mann in smiling and teasing reply, "Listen… try to calm down. We're almost back in Florestica, Ok? Once we get back, I'll do my best to determine what's causing this bizarre weather!"

"I will do that as well" added in Miz Mishtal, "To see water in this acidic and burning form is disgusting and offensive! Such _pollution_ should never soil El Hazard!"

"I agree, Miz" stated Sensei Fujisawa, "El Hazard is relatively free of pollution compared to Earth, and I'd like to keep it that way!"

"That's a good point, Masamichi…" responded Miz Mishtal, "You told me about the _massive_ factories and manufacturing plants on your world which emit vast amounts of dangerous gases. While such buildings exist on El Hazard, they are few and far between! Hence… where could pollution like this _acidic caustic rain_ come from?"

"I think that it's more than just normal pollution" answered Shayla Shayla, "This weather… it doesn't even feel _natural_ to me, or the byproduct of normal human consumption. There's something _very strange _causing it!"

Not some _thing_ very strange, Shayla Shayla; but rather some _one._ That same sone one was about have an influential discussion with Katsuhiko Jinnai…

"How is he?" asked Haruhi of Dr. Tofu just outside of an improvised infirmary tent, approximately twenty minutes after Dr. Tofu had retrieved Katsuhiko Jinnai from Haruhi and began operating on him.

"Well… the wound on his chest is gravely large" began Dr. Tofu in answer, "However, other than one punctured lung, he appears to have remarkably avoided any internal injuries or a ruptured heart. The trajectory of the blast that punched through him must have been a most peculiar one."

"So…" continued Haruhi, "The wound on his chest, and his punctured lung… how did you address them?"

"I have been able to firmly and comprehensively bandage over his chest wound" answered Dr. Tofu, "However, Queen Haruhi, given my readily available medical supplies, I was only able to apply a temporary coating and dressing to his punctured lung. It should hold for a few hours, but that is all. We will need to get Lord Jinnai back to the bugrom fortress quickly!"

"I see…" responded a much more clam than before, but also dejected Haruhi, "_Sigh_. Koizumi's… Koizumi's going to have to wait, sadly. Is there anything else, Dr. Tofu?"

"Well… Lord Jinnai's blood pressure is concerning me somewhat" stated Dr. Tofu, "But given that he's having one of his _Mizuhara_ episodes, as I call them…"

"_Mizuhara_ episodes?" asked a perplexed Haruhi in turn, "What does that mean?"

"I humbly suggest that you talk to Lord Jinnai on the matter yourself, my Queen" answered Dr. Tofu, "I… do not believe I can do proper justice to how they impact Lord Jinnai."

"Well…" stated Haruhi, putting her proverbial Detective cap on, "This sounds _interesting_, albeit troubling! I'll go ask Katsuhiko about it right away!"

With that, Haruhi carefully walked into the tent in which Jinnai was resting upon an infirmary bed, as she didn't want to startle him. Mind you, Jinnai would not be easily startled right now, as his mind was in a mildly delusional _delirious_ state.

"Mizh_**~hara!**_" he grumbled to himself, in a low tone of voice, while forming a fist, and beads of sweat dropped uneasily off of his furrowed brow, "This is _**your**_ doing, isn't it, Ma_ko_**to**! _**You malignant cancer on my life!**_"

"Katsuhiko…" stated Haruhi softly, as she gracefully slid down to sit upon the edge of his bed, while Jinnai was rolled towards the wall, facing away from her, "You're _safe_ now. I saw to that. What are you talking about to yourself? What has you so boiling over in rage?!"

"I now know who tried to kill you, Haruhi!" exclaimed Jinnai, rolling over to face her, "And _blast it_, I should have known who it was _all along!_"

"Known _what_, Katsuhiko?" asked a perturbed Haruhi in turn, "It was… it was _Yuki_ _Nagato_ that tried to kill me. I… I still don't know what to make of that…"

"Think, Haruhi, _**think!**_" replied Katsuhiko in turn, "Who did I tell you earlier has the ability to manipulate technology native to El Hazard? And what does Yuki Nagato _now resemble_, Haruhi?!"

"_Makoto Mizuhara can manipulate such technology…_" stated Haruhi beneath her breath, trying to make sense of Jinnai's words, "And… and Yuki now looks a lot like Ifurita, now that I think of it! You're not… you're not saying what I _think_ you are… are you, Katsuhiko?!"

"That is _exactly_ what I'm saying!" answered Jinnai, "Makoto Mizuhara has _stolen_ Yuki Nagato from you, and has used her to try to kill you to get at me. _**That misbegotten phony**_! How I will make him _pay_ for trying to hurt you like that!"

"Is he… is he really _**that bad**_, Katsuhiko?!" asked Haruhi, blown away by the thought that _any_ human male of her age could be as villainous as _this_.

"Makoto Mizuhara _**is the worst!**_" exclaimed Jinnai in response, "He is _**the absolute worst! **_His entire life he has done everything in his power to _destroy my life_. And now… now he's even trying to get to me through you, _that monstrous philistine!" _

Haruhi Suzumiya looked crossed… _very crossed indeed…_ over these words. She stood back up, with a reinvigorated sense of determination, drive, and purpose.

"Thank you, Katsuhiko" she said in a soft yet firm voice, "Thank you… for saving me earlier… but most of all, thank you for telling me what I needed to know in order to decided what to do next!"

"Huh?" asked Katsuhiko, worried over what Haruhi meant by this, "What do you mean by _what you're going to do next_?"

"Sadly… you're in no position to help me at this time, Katsuhiko" began Haruhi in answer, "So I'm going to have Dr. Tofu and Groucho accompany you back to our bugrom base through all of you travelling there on the Blue Drop. That trip is going to begin as soon as I leave, Katsuhiko, since ensuring your health is my _top_ priority right now. After I've recovered Mikuru, and… taken care of some important business… I'll follow behind upon the Red Comet. So… don't worry about me. I can look after myself! You will not be far from my thoughts, Katsuhiko."

"…_**Just what are you planning?!**_" asked a _deeply_ worried Jinnai, having grown to feel very _protective_ of Haruhi, but as she confidently walked out of the tent that they were in.

Haruhi liked Jinnai _a lot_, but she knew that men could be overwhelmed by _machismo pride_, and that Jinnai was probably not entirely immune to that. Given that, she suspected that he'd _object_ to her new plan if he knew what it was. But she now felt that to put an end to the cause of Jinnai's anguish, frustration, and pain, she needed to fulfill that plan. Meanwhile, Mikuru's only plan was trying to find someone she _recognized_, while she had fled from the watchful curious eyes of the citizens of Florestica who had been rudely awakened by her battle with Yuki. Mikuru was currently shivering, and scared, hiding within the shade of a city corner on a relatively deserted street.

"H-haruhi?" she began uneasily, "G-groucho? _I-I-s anybody there?!_"

"It's Ok!" came a soft, caring whisper of a voice from behind Mikuru, the source of it crouching down so as to meet her at eye level, "I _recognize_ you, and I'm here to help you out."

Mikuru screeched in terror at the quick response of this unfamiliar voice.

"_**Q-quiet!**_" he shouted in a loud whisper, as he gently placed a hand over Mikuru's mouth to silence her, "The less attention you attract, the less _explaining_ I'll have to do. I'm _not_ an enemy, in spite of what the bugrom might have told you. _Kyon_ and I have been really worried about you, Mikuru!"

"Y-you and Kyon?" asked Mikuru, as she slowly turned her quivering frame around to face this young man, "You know Kyon?!"

"Yes, I do" responded the young man, "My name is Makoto Mizuhara! It's nice to meet you. I'll be glad to bring you to Kyon and Itsuki Koizumi right away!"

"Y-y-you're not going to torture me, are you?!" asked a very frightened Mikuru.

"_**T-Torture you?!**_" asked a stunned Makoto Mizuhara in turn, "I would _never_ do such a thing! _Nobody_ here in Florestica would!"

"_**Liar!**_" came an explosive shout from a voice that Mikuru knew quite well, but was new to Makoto.

Makoto suddenly found himself on the receiving end of an _awesomely athletic_ and fast double footed drop kick directly to his face! Now, Makoto, you know _precisely_ what the Computer Club President felt like after he challenged the SOS Brigade to a duel…

"H-Haruhi!" shouted Mikuru after this devastating attack, "W-what are you doing?"

"I'm taking care of this _**bullying shyster**_ is what I'm doing, Mikuru!" answered Haruhi in angry reply, "Don't worry… after I'm done with _him_, you and I are getting out of here! Katsuhiko is Ok, and we'll later come up with a _new_ plan to save Koizumi!"

"K-Koizumi is going to be fine!" exclaimed Makoto, quickly coming to his feet, as he sounded increasingly nasally and put a hand over his now bleeding nose, "And _you're_ Haruhi Suzumiya! Don't believe the nonsense that Jinnai has told you. He can't be trusted!"

"Katsuhiko can't be trusted?" asked Haruhi in sarcastic rhetorical reply, "Yeah… I guess that's why _he risked his life for me_, Mizu_**~hara!**_ You _mean_ vicious bully! You've been telling all sorts of awful, despicable lies about _my boyfriend_, haven't you?!"

"_**B-boyfriend?!**_" responded Makoto, as it started to dawn on him that Haruhi Suzumiya was _far_ more 'mixed up with' the Bugrom Empire than what he had originally thought.

"That's right!" exclaimed Haruhi in turn, "And my boyfriend's enemies are _my_ enemies… and that means _you_, Ma_ko_**to**!"

Haruhi then sprinted at Makoto, and tried to kick him in the shins. Makoto dodged the attack. Haruhi followed up by a partially diving attempt to claw his face. Makoto dodged that as well. Haruhi then tried to punch Makoto directly in the jaw, only to find him catching her first.

"You're pretty fast, Haruhi Suzumiya!" shouted Makoto, "But I didn't come in tops in gym class for nothing!"

Makoto then twisted Haruhi's arm around, and maneuvered behind her, taking hold of _her_ free arm with _his_ free arm. He now actually had Haruhi within his hold.

"_**L-let go of me!**_" shouted Haruhi.

"Not until you listen to reason!" exclaimed Makoto in turn, "I'm _not_ your enemy!"

"_Baloney!_" shouted Haruhi in turn, "Like I said to you before, Katsuhiko's enemies are also _my_ enemies! And besides that, **you stole Yuki from me!**"

Haruhi then somehow managed to lift one leg and swing it about in an _incredible_ half circle, having it connect with Makoto's right temple, causing both of them to collapse unto the ground, Makoto shouting in pain!

Haruhi had freed herself from Makoto's hold, stood back up, and started kicking at him with her feet.

"_I'm_ a top gym student _too_, Makoto!" she shouted at him, "And that means that _you've_ met your match in me!"

Makoto rolled out of the way of Haruhi's fourth and fifth kicking motions; rose rapidly to his feet, and in desperation tried to _clothesline_ Haruhi to the ground! Haruhi ducked the attack, however, and delivered a double-handed axe-handle of a blow directly to the nape of Makoto's neck! Makoto screamed from the attack… before collapsing to the ground, unconscious. Haruhi Suzumiya allowed herself a moment of _megalomaniacal pride_ over this 'victory', as she saw it.

"And so I, **Bugrom Queen Haruhi Suzumiya**, have defeated the _legendary_ arch-enemy of the _bugrom champion _Katsuhiko Jinnai; I have defeated the _infamous villain_ Makoto Mizuhara!" she shouted with a boastful smile, "Mwa-ha-ha-Ha-Ah-Ha-**HAHA****HAHA**_**HAHA**_!!!"

Haruhi's impersonation of Jinnai's laugh was _freakishly_ accurate. The only question _now_ was what she planned to do next with Makoto Mizuhara…

**To be continued… **


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 – The Awakening of Haruhi Suzumiya

Makoto Mizuhara had fought chivalrously… and that was his problem. Makoto didn't want to inflict serious physical harm on a girl, while Haruhi was impetuously unrestrained in her fight against Makoto. In Haruhi's mind, this was an auspicious opportunity to finally repay the boyfriend who had done so much for her, while also testing herself against a legendary villain unlike any she had met on Earth. While _Haruhi's_ optimistic spirit had lead her to victory, _Makoto's_ optimism had actually been an obstacle for him in this battle, as his quixotic hope that Haruhi would easily cede to his _reasoning_ had left him vulnerable to her physical attacks one too many times. Haruhi is _not_ one to change her views unless given exceptionally clear and invariable evidence contrary to it. As such, the eventual victor of their fight was obvious, given their respective physical acumen, and their approach to the battle itself.

"_Now then…!_" began the proud Haruhi Suzumiya with wide smile and hands on her hips, "I can't wait to see the look on Katsuhiko's face when I hand **you** over to him, Makoto! Katsuhiko and I will then decide on a _fitting_ _punishment_ for daring to challenge and oppose us!"

Haruhi's conception of such a punishment was likely embarrassing Makoto in some merciless fashion and making him engage in mundane tasks for her. Jinnai's conception of such a punishment was likely _outright_ _execution_; for once _Haruhi_ would actually be _the gentler_ of the despotic disciplinarians. Nonetheless, Haruhi's idea of punishment was its typical cruel and unusual self while Jinnai's was just cruel; _horrifically_ cruel.

Appropriately, then, Ura quickly rose to Makoto's aid, after unwrapping herself from around Makoto's torso, standing on the tips of its paws, and _growling_ at Haruhi while its mane and fur began to have its strands of hair seemingly stand on their ends. Ura hence became a guard of sorts for Makoto. Haruhi cautiously backed away from this amazing sight, putting up one hand in a weak defensive posture, but still leaving most of her face unprotected as she couldn't take her eyes off of the Roshtarian _living armor. _Mikuru found Ura much more frightening than that, and hence backed further away from Ura than Haruhi did, while throwing both of her arms up in a tighter defensive posture than Haruhi's was. Haruhi was _slightly_ afraid of Ura, but much more than that, she was captivated by this uniquely alien being.

"I-I don't want to hurt _you…_" began Haruhi while talking to Ura, "You're a totally cute charming riveting creature! You look a bit like a cat, but your mane is so _**far out**_, and apparently people actually _wear_ you! That's _fabulous!_ Just to reintroduce myself… I'm Haruhi Suzumiya, and it's really great to meet you!"

"Har-u…_hi_?" asked Ura, making a quizzical face while turning it slightly on edge and sideways, finding Haruhi's lack of greater aversion towards her growl, and complimentary words towards her, odd here, "Har-u-hi?"

"That's right!" cheerfully exclaimed Haruhi, as she briskly knelt down to start playfully petting Ura, wrapping one arm snuggly around the middle of Ura's back, while using a free hand to stroke Ura's mane, "My name is Haruhi! And you'd make the perfect kawaii _pet_ for the SOS Brigade! Now… just let me grab Makoto, and I'll fly all three of us off…"

"_**Ma-Ko-To!**_" exclaimed Ura in resolve as firm as her belly, while she suddenly leapt out of Haruhi's embrace to stand between Haruhi's hand grasping for Makoto and Makoto himself.

Haruhi was taken aback a bit by Ura's actions here, and actually wasn't sure what to do next. She had already found Ura both adorable and enticing… but bringing _justice_ to Makoto in order to mollify her boyfriend was of the more immediate concern in Haruhi's mind. Thankfully, those concerns would soon change. _I_ would be the one to change them.

"**Haruhi!**" I shouted out to her, as I used my magnetic powers to have Nanami and I slowly descend down to where Haruhi was standing, "_**What are you doing?!**_"

"**K-Kyon!**" exclaimed Haruhi in turn, as she turned to face me, _startled_ by my sudden appearance, and the sight of my magnetic powers, but perhaps most of all by the very unusually authoritative and firm tone that I had taken with her.

I have to admit that having wondrous abilities and powers beyond those of normal humans can certainly serve to _embolden_ a person, and I was far from an exception here. As such, I now felt the inner confidence to approach Haruhi more assertively, decisively, and honestly than before. It helped, of course, that my new friend Makoto was in danger yet again. _That_ was becoming a bit of an irritating habit for him, but it didn't change the fact that he was a great guy that I wasn't about to allow Haruhi to have her way with.

"I'm… very glad to see you again, Haruhi" I stated, softening my tone slightly, as I really had truly been deeply concerned for her, but before adopting a firm tone again as I stretched an arm out to Makoto, "However… _who_ or _what_ did **that** to my new friend Makoto? Did _you_ do that to him, Haruhi?!"

"I-I…" began Haruhi nervously, still trying to get used to my more assertive tone, but before becoming more assertive myself, "…A-And _what if I did_, huh?! _My_ new close friend Katsuhiko has been diabolically mistreated all of his life by Makoto!"

"_Sigh_" stated Nanami, deciding to interject into my discussion with Haruhi at the mention of the brother that she despised, "I can see that my brother is up to his usual con games!"

"Nobody is _conning_ me!" exclaimed an increasingly agitated Haruhi in turn, now turning her attention to Nanami, as she made eye contact with her, "Katsuhiko… Katsuhiko _almost lost his life_ while saving me! _Obviously_ he's not conning me or he wouldn't have done that!"

"T-that's **true!**" shouted Mikuru, having had an initial positive impression of Jinnai, and also wanting to come to Haruhi's defense, "I-I don't agree with Haruhi beating up Makoto l-like that… but what she's saying about Katsuhiko Jinnai is _**true!**_ He _really did_ take a freakish fantastic blast for her!"

Mikuru doesn't lie easily… if at all. And I could tell that she was trying her best to be fair and honest here. Nanami could sense that as well… leaving her _deeply_ dumbfounded, as Mikuru's words were _irreconcilable_ with the perception that Nanami held of her brother. Nanami and I could only look at one another uneasily, while Haruhi and Mikuru _intensely_ searched both of our faces for some sign that we were accepting what they were telling us, as they stood in a rigid posture. After breathing another sigh, Nanami essentially decided to leave the explaining up to me, while she attended to Makoto.

"_I'll_ take care of Makoto" she said, as she rushed over to kneel next besides him, and began pulling out a first aid kit that she had with her to use in recovering him and treating his wounds, "…Please try to get _the full picture_ across to your friends, Kyon."

"Haruhi…" I said softly, before turning to look at Mikuru, "Mikuru, I…" as I continued to look back and forth between the two of them, starting to get caught up in the sentimental aspects of being reunited with them, "L-let's leave the long explanations for _later_. Right now, I'm just so relieved to see the two of you!"

"Y-yeah…" said Mikuru softly, as she rushed over to Haruhi and me, wrapping one arm around me, and another around a slightly trembling Haruhi, "I'm really glad to see you too, Kyon!"

With that, the three of us shared a short group hug of sorts. It was as though Haruhi and I could tell what the other one was thinking… and as such, we decided that we'd put aside the fact that the new friends that we had respectively made in El Hazard were bitter enemies to one another. We'd put that aside to enjoy this longed after reunion of most of the SOS Brigade. Such a reunion reminded Haruhi of something else however.

"H-how's Itsuki?" she asked of me as we gradually came out of the group hug, and has she was almost in tears of joy over our reunion.

"Well… he was poisoned, I think, by a group called _the Shadow Tribe_" I began in answer to Haruhi, as I wanted to temporarily put out of my mind the fact that Yuki was the one member of the SOS Brigade of Earth that could _not_ be reunited with the rest of us tonight, "However, the people here in Roshtaria are very good, welcoming people. A wise scientist called _Dr. Schtalubaugh_ discovered a cure for the disease, and it required Makoto, Nanami, and I to retrieve a plant called the Bekyo plant. I just brought that plant to _Dr. Schtalubaugh, _and, well… I guess we'll just have to hope he can turn it into a cure for Itsuki."

Haruhi was staring a bit below eye level, and getting a bit lost in thought, as she tended to do when there was a lot of detailed information that she had to carefully piece together.

"Kyon… you wouldn't lie to me, right?" asked Haruhi, wanting to first make sure that the information I was giving her was _absolutely ironclad_ before continuing on with her analyzing of it.

"_No_, Haruhi…" I answered, "_Especially_ given what all of us gone through! I have a feeling that there's a lot that we're going to need to learn from one another, and it's important that we're _completely_ truthful with another as we share accounts of what El Hazard has been like for all of us thus far."

"…Yeah, you're right, Kyon" answered Haruhi, "Maybe… maybe I shouldn't have knocked out your new friend Makoto… _b-but…_"

"It's _Ok_, Haruhi" I said, "If somebody saved my life, and that _same_ somebody had a rancorous rivalry with a third party… _I_ probably wouldn't be too fond of that third party _either._"

Haruhi looked up at me, and forced a slight smile, giving thanks to me for understanding where she was coming from. Unfortunately, the pattering noise of black leather boots stealthily sprinting towards us, along with the sounds of gently swishing rifles, provided clear evidence that _not everyone_ in Florestica would understand, or easily accept, where Haruhi was coming from. Haruhi, Mikuru, and I abruptly found a large assemblage of Roshtarian guards surrounding us in a circle formation while aiming their weapons at us. Beyond that, my magnetic senses told me that there were at least three Roshtarian snipers all on rooftops, all pointing their partly metallic guns at Haruhi's head.

"That certainly took long enough, soldiers!" exclaimed a highly displeased Londs, heading this company of men, "Still… we now have captured the Bugrom Queen herself! Princess Rune should be _thrilled_ by this news!"

"L-Londs!" shouted a dazed Makoto, slowly rising to his feet with Nanami's help, as she continued to apply a moist cloth to his bloody nose, "It's Ok… she's with Kyon, and Kyon's with me!"

"But Makoto…" began Londs in a rocked reply, "According to what one of my scouts told me, the Bugrom Queen here left you _quite_ **pummeled and thrashed** most recently! Why then would you trust her, and even speak out in her defense?"

"Because while she may now be Bugrom Queen…" began Makoto Mizuhara in answer, "She's only been here in El Hazard for about a week and almost everything Kyon has told me about her is good, and I have reason to trust Kyon!"

"_Almost_ everything?" asked Haruhi, raising an eyebrow in displeasure towards Kyon.

"Well, now, didn't you just say that you didn't want me to _lie_?" I asked in teasing reply.

"_**Ha!**_" laughed Haruhi derisively, while making a pouty look, "_Very funny_, Kyon!"

"…They seem harmless enough to me, sir" stated one soldier to Londs, finding the words of the Bugrom Queen herself to be rather amusing

"Indeed…" responded Londs, staring very thoughtfully at Haruhi, "And, I never noticed it before, but this latest Bugrom Queen appears to be significantly younger than our own Princess Rune Venus! She is but a girl, really…"

"Don't underestimate me just because I'm not a _boring_ **dull** adult yet!" exclaimed Haruhi angrily at these words.

"Haruhi… you're _not_ helping." I stated in turn, while making an uneasy smile towards Londs and his soldiers, and also while nervous sweat began to form on my head.

"Yeah, Haruhi, maybe you should let Kyon and I handle this…" interjected Makoto with equal nervousness, and with an equally uneasy smile forced towards Londs and his men.

Nanami actually chuckled a bit over the scene.

"You have a lot of spunk, Haruhi Suzumiya!" shouted Nanami, patting Haruhi on her bugrom wings, before making a gregarious smile towards Haruhi, "Maybe you and I can still be good friends after all."

"You're Katsuhiko's sister, aren't you?" asked Haruhi, turning to face Nanami, "Well… while I'm aware of the biting discord between your brother and you, it's still nice to finally meet his sister!"

"It's good to meet you too!" stated Nanami with the enthusiasm of an influential businesswoman wanting to make an indelible first impression, before turning about to address Londs, "Now, Londs, just leave the Bugrom Queen and Mikuru with Makoto, Kyon, and me. I _promise you_ that we'll keep them out of trouble!"

"Well…" began Londs in considerate contemplative reply, "I'll trust the Bugrom Queen and her ally Mikuru with you, Makoto, and Kyon for now. However, the Bugrom Queen is _still_ the Bugrom Queen, regardless of her age and planet of birth. I will need to notify Princess Rune Venus of her presence within Florestica immediately, and I'm not certain how her highness will respond to your reassurances, Nanami!"

"Oh, I'm sure that _Makoto_ can get a lot of important people to put in a good word to Princess Rune for Queen Haruhi…" stated Nanami, now with one arm draped around Haruhi's shoulders, and just before she peered over her own shoulder to look at Makoto, "Isn't that right, Makoto?"

"Yeah…" he answered, being an _incredibly_ good sport here, but still stinging a bit from his fight with Haruhi, "Once my nose stops bleeding anyway!"

Haruhi couldn't bring herself to outright apologize to Makoto for beating him up earlier, but she _did_ make a sad sympathetic face to him, given how he was picking up for her in spite of their _raucous_ fight that had taken place mere minutes ago. Haruhi was beginning to feel uncommonly conflicted and confused. Makoto Mizuhara _hardly_ seemed like a villainous school bully to her right now, and Nanami seemed _emphatically_ friendly and nice in spite of how Katsuhiko had called her a "turncoat sister". _Clearly_, there was more going on here than simply Jinnai's side of the story, was a realization that began to emerge within Haruhi's mind.

In any event, the words of Makoto and Nanami had been enough to persuade Londs to order his men to stand at ease, and allow Haruhi, Mikuru, and I to roam relatively freely amongst Florestica, as long as Makoto and Nanami were with us at all times. One factor that helped Londs in his decision is how he wanted to spare as many of his men for emergency response relief as possible.

The stark environmental decimation brought about by Haruhi's earlier excessive emotional instability had left cries from the common people through out all of El Hazard for help from their authorities. Even in the country of Gannan, the bugrom still stationed there, and Gannan's SOS Brigade provisional government underneath Jinnai's hand-picked "conspirator" Winston de Gaulle, _rushed_ to the aid of the people. This would prove to go _very far_ in healing ancient rifts between the bugrom and the humans of El Hazard. El Hazard was now a world in the midst of widespread hazard relief, as casualty figures had mounted to horrific heights.

Still, to quote a former infamous leader of the now defunct USSR, _one_ death is a tragedy but _a thousand_ deaths is a statistic. Tragically, I have found that this does _indeed_ tend to reflect the hearts of every day people. In spite of her unbelievable uniqueness, Haruhi Suzumiya was no exception here, as her concerns mediated not on the losses suffered through out the human nations of El Hazard, but rather gravitated back and forth between Itsuki Koizumi, and Katsuhiko Jinnai. First, Haruhi, Nanami, Makoto, Mikuru, and I would drop in to Itsuki's infirmary room to pay him a visit.

Clutching onto his bed railing while gazing down at his now peaceful, unconscious form, Haruhi began to size him up.

"So…" she began, concerned for Koizumi, but much more amazed than concerned given his current appearance, "He has _esper_ powers! _First_ aliens, _now_ espers!! He he he…!"

"Yes" I answered, "Each of five members of your SOS Brigade, Haruhi, has been gifted with strange new abilities since coming to El Hazard. You have your shape changing ability, I have mastery over magnetism and hence metals, Mikuru can now generate powerful bolts of energy from her eyes, Itsuki now has a wide array of abilities tied to his esper power, and Yuki…"

"Yuki's become a demon god of El Hazard, right?" asked Haruhi, becoming a bit gloomy again.

"That's right, Haruhi" I answered, "And more to the point… Makoto, Nanami, Sensei Fujisawa, and I all now believe that she's being controlled by _the Shadow Tribe_ people that I told you about before."

"_The Shadow Tribe…_", sneered Haruhi, "_They_ must have been the ones that set the trap for Katsuhiko and me! From what you told me on our way here, Kyon, they have the ability to cast illusions! They _did_ send _false scrambled messages_ to Sasuke!"

"Yes, Haruhi, you're probably right" I stated, gently placing a hand on her shoulder to try to calm her, "And, of course, they're probably also responsible for what happened to Itsuki. They're our true, _mutual_ enemies, Haruhi"

"That's right…" stated Haruhi, "But we're not going to let them get away with what they've done, Kyon! Katsuhiko is alive, I'm fine, and now with the Bekyo plant that I'm _**so relieved **_that you, Makoto, and Nanami retrieved, Dr. Schtalubaugh is going to save Itsuki! So they've _failed_ in trying to hurt us, and we're going to get them back for the very attempt to do so!"

I couldn't help but smile at Haruhi's surprising zealous righteous fervor here. Makoto and Nanami both smiled over it as well, impressed by Haruhi's resolve.

"_Yeah!_" chimed in Makoto, "Dr. Schtalubaugh is working hard at synthesizing a cure right now, just a few rooms over, and I'm _sure_ that he'll have it completed in before Itsuki's time runs out!"

Everybody in the room felt happy and spirited at the moment. Still… there remained an elephant in the room that was serving to threaten to shatter all of that sparkling invigorated china. I felt that it was time to address it.

"Still, Haruhi…" I stated, after taking a deep breath, "There's _**an awful lot**_ we need to tell you about El Hazard in general, and… _in particular…_ about Katsuhiko Jinnai."

"W-what about Katsuhiko?" asked a pensive Haruhi, as she could _just tell_ that what she was about to hear _next_ would be dreadful news to her… but, it still had to be told.

"I'd… like to tell you all about it one on one, and in private, Haruhi" I stated, as I looked around the room to see if Makoto and Nanami would agree.

With short but solemn nods of their head, I could tell that they too felt it would be best if I broke the _bad news_, to put it mildly, to Haruhi.

"O-Ok, Kyon" responded Haruhi, "But… we're now into the early hours of the morning, and I need to find a place _to sleep_ here for the night… so try to keep it short."

"_I'll_ see to it that Londs provides another guest room for you, Haruhi, as well as one for Mikuru", stated Nanami to Haruhi, before turning her attentions to Makoto "Meanwhile, Makoto will see to welcoming back Sensei Fujisawa and the Three Priestesses, and bringing _them_ up to speed on everything. I suspect that they'll be here any minute now!"

Nanami was right. Hence, the following hour, which I would estimate was roughly between El Hazard's equivalent of 1 AM and 2 AM in the morning, would be an intense one as Makoto and I would need to explain a great deal to Haruhi and Sensei Fujisawa respectively, while Alielle had a passionate and tearful reunion with Princess Fatora, and Nanami saw to reserving accommodations for Haruhi and Mikuru.

I actually decided to tell Haruhi _everything_ pertinent to her interactions with El Hazard. I told her all about Katsuhiko's leading of _bloody ruthless warfare_ as Supreme Commander of the Bugrom Empire… but, in fairness, I also told her about how Jinnai had played a pivotal role in stopping Galus from destroying El Hazard in the past. I told her _Makoto's_ side of the long, bitter history between him and Katsuhiko Jinnai, and I also told Haruhi about the long, bitter history between the Alliance and the Bugrom Empire.

Makoto had been blissfully ignorant of Jinnai's resentments towards him until only just before they had left for El Hazard. The Bugrom Empire had typically been the aggressor in the hundreds upon hundreds of years of war between them and the Alliance… but, in fairness, only the Alliance had taken it to the extreme of actually trying to commit _genocide_ on the opposing force. All of this I told to Haruhi. At first, she found almost all of it improbable to believe _and_ impossible to digest.

But, when I finally left her for the evening for her to sleep on it, I could tell that my words to her were gradually beginning to sink in.

"Katsuhiko…" she said to me, just before saying goodnight to me, and with the strains of emotional pain showing on her face, "Katsuhiko is a… is a _remorseless warlord. _And the Bugrom Empire… _my_ Bugrom Empire… has a history of violent aggression that _predates_ Katsuhiko's involvement therein."

"I'm… I'm afraid that's all true, Haruhi." I responded to her.

"…_**What am I going to do, Kyon?!**_" she asked in turn, almost crying, as she leaned heavily against the exterior of her bedroom door, "I-I've become _very close_ to Katsuhiko! He… He's engaged in _such_ repulsive and revolting deeds, but… but he's been very kind and nice _**to me!**_ I-I… can't just turn my back on him, Kyon! N-not when he risked his life for me! And not can I just turn my back on the Bugrom people that have so lovingly embraced me! I-I'm set to be crowned _Queen_ of them!"

"Haruhi…" I began softly, while placing an arm around her shoulders, "I think that _whatever_ you eventually choose to do will be the _right_ choice. To be honest and fair to you, you're usually pretty good at reasoning out the best course of action to take in tight squeezes like this one… just like you did when you tried to discover who the killer was when we visited Itsuki's relative at the island villa. _Whatever_ you choose to do, Haruhi, _I'll_ support you in that choice. _Now…_ both of us need our sleep. Maybe sleeping on it will give you a better idea of how to approach Katsuhiko Jinnai and the bugrom from here on end."

"…Yeah" stated Haruhi, almost chocked up, "I… I guess that you're right, Kyon. Thanks for supporting me…"

"You're welcome, Haruhi" I said, forcing a slight smile, while I left to _finally_ call it a night.

The SOS Brigade's seventh day, and seventh night, on El Hazard had been an _immensely_ eventful one, and we all needed our rest badly. Nonetheless, Makoto's discussions with Sensei Fujisawa, Afura Mann, Miz Mishtal, and Shayla Shayla went about as well as mine with Haruhi's did. There was great relief, of course, over Fatora's recovery and the knowledge that Haruhi and Mikuru were safely within the Roshtarian fold, at least for now. However, Haruhi's _romance_ with Jinnai was a complication that had not been foreseen by _any_ of us. Furthermore, my discussions with Haruhi had revealed to me that Jinnai really _hadn't_ been maliciously deceiving her; Haruhi and Jinnai had been _misinterpreting_ one another to astonishing degrees. This I made known to Haruhi by pointing out how _"theater of war"_ is a phrase used to describe a particular arena or setting within which war occurs, referencing the _Japanese_ theater of war from World War Two.

As much as I had come to resent Katsuhiko Jinnai, and as much as I had to admit that I actually felt a bit _jealous_ of him given the feelings that Haruhi displayed for him, it didn't seem fair or just to me to simply tear into him verbally in the hopes that doing so would make Haruhi like him far less. Jinnai's acts of kindness and tenderness towards Haruhi were, from what I could tell, _genuine_, and hence I felt that I had to give the man his due. Beyond that, of course, was the more practical consideration of how further disparaging the name and person of Haruhi's new boyfriend would emotionally affect Haruhi. I concluded that any benefit that could come from it wasn't worth the risk.

Hence, I simply gave Haruhi the facts, and left at that. Unfortunately, that _alone_ had lead to a largely restless night for Haruhi, as she lay awake in bed for at least a hour continually asking herself "_Who_ is the _real_ Katsuhiko Jinnai?". That, and _horrific nightmares _concerning the wars between the Alliance and the Bugrom Empire, and the use of the Eye of God as the ultimate weapon of mass _extinction_ against the bugrom, plagued Haruhi through out the night. Everybody else in Florestica slept relatively soundly, however, grateful to have the knowledge that Haruhi was now finally working from a fully informed position, and that the same held true for Mikuru.

Haruhi and Nanami were the first to arise the next morning, the SOS Brigade's _eighth_ on El Hazard, as neither could sleep for very long. Haruhi quickly sought out Princess Rune Venus, requesting to have a meeting with all of the prominent heads of state and politicians within the Alliance of El Hazard human nations in order to negotiate _a peace treaty_ between the Bugrom Empire and the Alliance. Roshtarian Princess Rune was _greatly enthused_ over this offer from Bugrom Queen Haruhi, and decided to respond to it by postponing the planned emergency Alliance meeting that was to be held on that day to the _following_ day, only now with Bugrom Empire representation and peace negotiations slated for that postponed meeting's agenda. With _that_ taken care of, Haruhi decided to go for a short stroll with Nanami, to try to clear her head.

In an odd sort of way, Nanami had felt very sorry for Haruhi. Nanami could scarcely imagine how emotionally _rattling_ it must be to develop a strong romantic attachment to someone, only to find out that someone was an emotionally unstable warlord responsible for the deaths of thousands, if not millions. Still, while Nanami couldn't truly _empathize_ with Haruhi, she could _sympathize_ with her. Beyond that, Nanami could sense that Mikuru was _not_ the sort of person that Haruhi could rely upon for female companionship in overcoming an emotional hurt like this one. Hence, Nanami felt a need to _step into the gap _for Haruhi, and did just that, as the two talked to each other while sitting upon a serene white bench in the royal courtyard of Florestica.

"Did our walk refresh you any, Haruhi?" asked Nanami.

"…Yeah, I feel a bit better now, Nanami" answered Haruhi, "As you can imagine, I have an awful lot on my mind right now."

"It's not good to _always_ be focusing on circumstances and situations that are difficult to control!" exclaimed Nanami, trying to capture the authoritative teaching voice of Sensei Fujisawa, "…Give your mind a _rest_, Haruhi! In fact, to try to get your mind focused on more pleasant thoughts and ideas, let me just say that I think that your North High student uniform is very _pretty_! It goes _beautifully_ with your new bugrom wings too!"

"Thank you, Nanami" replied Haruhi in a sweet tone, forcing a smile towards Nanami over these comforting words, but finding that they merely drew her back to her thoughts, "It's funny, you know… in many ways, you're a lot like your brother…"

"Oh?" asked Nanami, who would normally be _extremely_ _insulted_ by the comparison, but was observant enough to know how it was more of a compliment or neutral observation when coming from Haruhi, "How do you find Katsuhiko and me to be alike?"

"Both of you are quick to want to cheer me up when I'm feeling down…" began Haruhi in answer, "And you both don't show the least bit of apprehension or shyness in complimenting me, either. Back in my own school in Japan, most people seem to want to stay away from me, or maybe find me unapproachable… but you Jinnais certainly don't!"

"Yeah…" began Nanami in forced sheepish smile, "I guess that even _I'd_ have to admit that Katsuhiko and I don't intimidate easily, and tend to always say what we truly mean! I guess that's why I've always found it easy to see through Katsuhiko's lies."

"…Do you think that he's been lying to me, Nanami?" asked Haruhi, with a sad look on her face.

"I… I don't know, Haruhi" answered Nanami in turn, "I mean, I wasn't there for any of his conversations with you, so how would I know? _Annyyyy_way, let's try to change subjects to a more _pleasant_ topic of conversation. I've noticed that you've been fiddling around with your necklace during our entire conversation! Try not to smudge it up, Haruhi, because it's really _gorgeous_ and suits you perfectly I think! Also, if you ever want to _sell_ it, it helps to keep it in the best condition possible."

Alas, Nanami's attempt to change the topic of discussion, yet again lead straight back to Katsuhiko Jinnai…

"Thank you for saying that Nanami…" replied Haruhi, as she made a slight and almost romantic smile, "But I would never _**ever**_ sell it. This necklace is the nicest and sweetest gift I've ever received! I'll always cherish it. Katsuhiko gave it to me…"

One lone tear slipped out of Haruhi's sorrowful eyes, while Nanami continued to be _wholly astounded_ by Katsuhiko's approach towards Haruhi. He had given her a beautiful necklace. He had risked his own life to protect her's. _What in Heaven's name_ had come over the _rotten, ne'er-do-well brother_ that she _thought_ she had come to know and loathe? Nanami wasn't sure what she should say to Haruhi at this juncture. In fact, Nanami was even starting to have doubts over her long held profoundly negative assessment of her brother.

"What… what should I do, Nanami?" asked Haruhi, beginning to open up a bit more to Nanami given how tender Nanami had been towards her, "What do you do when you fall in love with a guy while only seeing the wonderful _best_ side of him, and then later finding out that he has this _entire_ **dark, twisted, and ugly** side to him that you never even knew of before?! I… I can't just _shut off_ the feelings that I have for Katsuhiko, but at the same time…!"

Haruhi earnestly searched Nanami's eyes for some sign of answer; Nanami, in turn, could only make a very tenderhearted gaze back to Haruhi's eyes.

"I… I'm not really the best one to answer that question, Haruhi" answered Nanami, "My brother and I haven't gotten along with each other _at all_, and for a very long time."

Nanami then sighed deeply, trying to think up something uplifting and perhaps even a bit humorous to say that could break the morose tension in the air.

"_Well…_" began Nanami, able to quickly take up a celebratory tone of voice, "I guess that you'll make a _really cool_ Sister-In-Law at least!"

"_**Na-Nanami!!!**_" piped up Haruhi in blushing reply, coming to her feet over Nanami's startling words.

"I'm only joking!" Nanami speedily replied, "Well… you _really would_ make a very cool Sister-In-Law, but… I certainly don't _expect_ that to happen. Let's go join the others, Haruhi."

"No. Wait." responded Haruhi, _desperately_ wanting to finally come to a conclusion on Katsuhiko Jinnai, and sensing that his sister might hold the key to reaching it, "I-I need to make a firm, final decision concerning my relationship with Katsuhiko. Since you're his sister, you should know him as well as anybody, _Nanami!_ That's why I could _really use_ your advice here!"

Nanami made a quick sigh of displeasure, but decided that Haruhi was right; for better or for worse, Nanami felt that she needed to help Haruhi make such a final decision.

"Ok, Haruhi, this is what I'll do…" stated Nanami, "I'm going to tell you what I _hate_ **the most** about my brother, and we'll see if it's something that you can handle. If it's not, well… then _**forget about him!**_ If it i_s_ something that you _can_ handle, well… _sigh…_ then I feel sorry for you, but at least I might get a great Sister-In-Law out of the deal…"

"_**Ok!**_" exclaimed an energetic Haruhi, while pumping a fist and being eager to settle the disputes within her heart and mind, "Go ahead and tell me what it is that you hate most about Katsuhiko! I'm _ready_ for it!"

"I hope that you are…" replied Nanami under her breath, before speaking more loudly so Haruhi could hear her clearly, "Well, Haruhi, what I hate _most_ about my brother is how, well, there are _many_ times that I get the feeling that Katsuhiko… that Katsuhiko would actually like _to destroy the entire world_, and _remake it in his image!_"

Haruhi actually _gasped_ at these words, as she could instantly feel _goose bumps_ on her.

"_I know!"_ responded Nanami to Haruhi's gasp, misinterpreting what it had actually meant, "Isn't it just _arrogant_ and **crazy** and _**terrible**_ to the highest degree?!"

"Well…" began Haruhi in answer, feeling _quite_ a bit of shame given what Nanami had just said, "It may be _all_ of those things, Nanami, but… I can _definitely_ relate."

"R-really?" asked Nanami, considerably stunned and taken aback by Haruhi's words here.

"Yeah…" responded Haruhi, now having a _very_ **profound** sense of what she should do next, "Probably the most lucid dream I ever had was one in which… in which I wanted to remake the world the way that _I _wanted it to be…"

Nanami could only blink uneasily over these words, as she had been rendered speechless by them.

"Katsuhiko…" continued Haruhi, "Katsuhiko is more like me than _even I_ had thought. As such, I may be _the only one_ that can reform him from his war-loving ways and set him on a more peaceful path of _true_ abundance and joy! I… I'm going to rescue my boyfriend from his madness… just as Kyon did the same for me!"

Haruhi then spread her bugrom wings out far and wide, increasing their size substantially in the process. She then leapt straight up into the crisp blue noon air with impeccable drive and determination! She began to strikingly _soar_ towards where the Red Comet was, to tell him that he could now finally return to the nearly rebuilt Hive, but that _she_ would be going on ahead of him since she could fly faster than him.

Haruhi Suzumiya was now possessed with a steely resolve and a resolute purpose. She was going to get through to Katsuhiko Jinnai if it was the last thing that she did! If I had been there, though, I would have reminded Haruhi of the words of a famous German philosopher. When you look into _the abyss_, Haruhi, the abyss looks back into you…

**To be continued…!**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 – The Confrontation of Haruhi Suzumiya

It was now just after noon on the SOS Brigade of Earth's eighth day on El Hazard. Sensei Fujisawa, Makoto, Nanami, the Three Priestesses, and I chose to spend the day aiding Londs and a large percentage of the Roshtarian Guard in disaster relief and reconstruction efforts in the most environmentally devastated areas near the Roshtarian capitol of Florestica. Mikuru had intended to join us, but instead found herself ensnared by Alielle and Fatora wanting to put on a fashion show to celebrate their reunion after Fatora's time as a Bugrom prisoner. At the same time, Dr. Schtalubaugh worked around the clock in trying to synthesize a cure in time for Itsuki, out of the Bekyo plant that had been retrieved for him, along with other key ingredients.

While it was a busy day in Florestica, it was actually even more hectic at the nearly reconstructed Bugrom Hive. Katsuhiko Jinnai's first act upon awaking this morning, and after being patched up substantially well by Dr. Tofu, was to send out an order to all of the Bugrom search parties to return to the Hive, since all of Haruhi's SOS Brigade members had now been located, in one sense or another. However, with that taken care of, Jinnai was in for some tense discussions…

"Mr. Jinnai_…_" began Diva in a fretful tone, and while standing directly in front of the throne of the Bugrom Queen, "While I am grateful to see you back on your feet so quickly after your grievous injuries, a most essential question still requires an equally urgent answer: **where is Miss Suzumiya?!**"

"_God damn it…_ I don't know, Diva!" exclaimed an exceedingly exasperated and livid Katsuhiko Jinnai, standing close to the bottom of the crystalline staircase that led up to the throne of the Bugrom Queen, "After I revealed to Haruhi how Makoto had been _the malevolent mastermind _behind Yuki Nagato's attempt to kill her, Haruhi just _raced off_ while talking about some sort of important business that she needed to take care of. I haven't seen her since!"

"And you have no idea of what this important business might entail, Mr. Jinnai?" asked Diva in turn.

"…I can only surmise that she went after Makoto Mizuhara" answered Jinnai in a moment of stern thoughtfulness.

"_**Of course**_ that's what she did boss!" exclaimed Groucho, standing only about six feet from Jinnai, and also being the only other individual in the Bugrom Queen's royal hall at this moment, "You must have riled her up so much with your words against Makoto, that there's no questionthat she wanted to get him for your sake!"

"Well _**what was I supposed to do**_, Groucho?!" asked Jinnai in turn, sensing that Groucho was blaming him for Queen Haruhi's current absence, "Do you want me to _lie_ to Haruhi?! I only told her the truth about Makoto!"

"Mr. Jinnai! Groucho!" exclaimed Diva, as she looked from one to the other, "…We need to maintain cool level heads if we hope to retrieve Miss Suzumiya. Nowour working theory is that she went after Makoto Mizuhara. Since Miss Suzumiya has not returned yet, perhaps it is safe to assume that she _failed_ in the attempt, and that Makoto captured her."

Jinnai's eyes began almost popping out over the quickly suspected consequences of Diva being correct here.

"Haruhi's been captured by the Alliance…" he said in a hushed, whispered tone, as though uttering an unspeakable curse, before becoming his more naturally loud and boisterous self again, "_**Damn**_ that Alliance! …Ok, this is what we're going to do!"

"I'm all antennae, boss!" shouted Groucho, eager to hear what the plan to rescue Haruhi would be.

"We're going to do what we should have done when trying to rescue Itsuki Koizumi!" exclaimed Jinnai, "We're going with an all-out **invasion** of Roshtaria! We're going to break through any and all Alliance barricades through using the full military might of the Bugrom Empire! I will raze Florestica _to. the.__** Ground!**_ if need be in order to rescue Haruhi!"

"That is _not necessary_, Katsuhiko!" came a disagreeable voice that was nonetheless music to Jinnai's ears.

"Miss Suzumiya!" shouted Diva, as though a great weight had been lifted off of her wings with the sudden entrance of the final Bugrom Queen.

"**Queen Haruhi!**" exclaimed a substantially solaced Groucho

"_**Haruhi!**_" shouted a buoyant Katsuhiko Jinnai, in an exceptionally rare moment of fully betraying his emotional attachment to another person, as he darted over towards her with the intent of hugging her.

"N-not now, Katsuhiko!" replied a slightly blushing yet determined Haruhi, holding out a hand to block him from embracing her, "There is a lot that we have to talk about! And it's very crucial and serious, and I want the two of us to talk about it _**alone**_!"

Diva, Jinnai, and Groucho all came to stiff stops, wondering what Haruhi could possibly mean by all of this.

"First of all, though…" began Haruhi, softening her tone a bit, and while finding it difficult to make eye contact with Jinnai, "How are you feeling _physically_, Katsuhiko? Are your wounds healing well?"

"Dr. Tofu is a peerless physician!" exclaimed Jinnai in answer, "While I certainly want to avoid any strenuous activity for the next couple of days, I'm fit as a fiddle when it comes to simply walking and talking around the almost rebuilt Hive."

"I'm glad to hear that, Katsuhiko" responded Haruhi, forcing a smile, "Now then, if it's Ok with Diva and Groucho, I'd like to talk to you _and you alone_ in your room."

Diva and Groucho continued to find Haruhi's request here curious, but nonetheless they chose to yield to it, since it was a request from the Bugrom Queen herself. With that, Haruhi and Jinnai left for Jinnai's room, but not before Jinnai asked Margaret to prepare some celebratory herbal tea for him and Haruhi.

As Haruhi and Jinnai drank their tea, Haruhi decided to engage in some casual chit-chat with Jinnai concerning Hive reconstruction efforts, and how Chico, Gummo, Zeppo, and Margaret were doing. She did this to try to calm her increasingly overwrought mind, while also relaxing Jinnai into a frame of mind in which he would hopefully prove more receptive to the arguments that she planned to make to him. Finally, with Jinnai slouching back into his red crystalline throne of a chair with plush covers, and Haruhi pulling up a smaller chair in his room in order to sit on, the two began to delve into far weightier matters.

"Katsuhiko…" began Haruhi, trying to take upon herself as serious and sober a tone as possible, "…When I told you that we were going to make every last alien on this planet a member of the SOS Brigade, you assumed that this meant that I was acquiescing to you using warfare to achieve our shared ambition, am I correct?"

"Well…_ yes…_ **of course!**" answered Jinnai a bit uneasily, as he found Haruhi's question here to be mystifyingly odd, "Surely, Haruhi, you don't actually believe that I could accomplish such a feat without first pushing aside the Alliance militaries that would naturally block us in such an endeavor, do you?"

Haruhi's pupils slid back and forth, as she tried to come up with a compelling supporting reason for her 'yes' answer. However, she honestly couldn't find one. Jinnai's point, on a purely pragmatic level, was a valid one, particularly given how Haruhi was now aware of the ancient prolonged hostilities between the Alliance and the Bugrom Empire. However, while Haruhi remained silent towards Jinnai's penetrating question, Jinnai could tell by Haruhi's lack of an immediate response that her answer was indeed 'yes'.

"You actually _do_ believe that I could accomplish such a feat without using militaristic means whatsoever, don't you?!" asked an incredulous Jinnai.

"Well… I would prefer it if we at least _tried_ purely peaceful means _first_, Katsuhiko" stated Haruhi, finally answering him.

"_Why?_" asked a perplexed Jinnai in turn, while raising an eyebrow, and while rising out of his seat and accentuating almost every word that he was now saying with added body language, "Even if I could accomplish such a feat through purely peaceful means, it would take me far longer to do so than through the aids of the _**fearsome fighting force**_ of the Bugrom Empire! Be_siiiides_ going with the _less_ immediate route _hardly_ seems in keeping with _your_ personality, Haruhi."

"What do you mean by 'keeping with my personality'?" asked Haruhi, raising an eyebrow, and making a stern face, over these words.

"_**What do I mean?!**_" asked an amazed Jinnai in turn, "Haruhi, don't you remember what we talked about during our journey together from the Hive to Florestica yesterday?"

"All we talked about was some of our respective school activities before we arrived in El Hazard!" stated Haruhi in turn.

"And that's enough!" stated Jinnai, baffled that Haruhi was somehow oblivious to what those activities meant _about herself_, "Wait… I see now! You're an outstanding _villain_ without even being aware of it!"

"**Vi-**_**Villain!!!**_" exclaimed Haruhi angrily, rapidly rising out of her own seat now, as she was greatly displeased over this unexpected perceived _insult_ from Katsuhiko.

"Well, _yes_, **obviously!**" responded Jinnai in turn, before he began to list the reasons behind his decision to label Haruhi a villain, "Let me count the ways! First, as a young girl, you _trespass_ unto school property late at night and _blackmail_ a John Smith into _vandalizing_ school grounds for you! You _grope_ and _sexually harass_ your own friend Mikuru Asahina, treating her as a mere _plaything_ for your amusement in the form of costuming! And then, there's the _**piece de resistance…**_ the _deliciously__** devious**_ ultimate act of _pure_ **evil** _**genius**_! You actually forced the Computer Club President to touch Mikuru's breasts, had a picture taken of it, and used _threats_ of distributing that picture to ruin his good name as a means of _extorting_ him into 'giving' you a top of the line computer! The utter _anguish_ you must have put that poor sap through. What _superb_ **villainy**, Haruhi Suzumiya!"

Haruhi swallowed _hard_, and began distressingly stared off into space. Katsuhiko Jinnai was right**!** Haruhi's actions here _were_ genuinely villainous, or at least mischievous to a worrisome degree. Haruhi was so floored by Jinnai's irrefutable reasoning in listing out some of her more prominent past misdeeds that she actually did not know what to say to it! This enabled Jinnai, after noticing that Haruhi had passed on the opportunity to respond to him, to continue on with his arguments to her.

Jinnai's words weren't entirely without ulterior motive, however. He could tell that Haruhi was trying to persuade him to cease being a man of literal warfare, and Jinnai was decidedly not keen on the idea. This was largely since warfare was something that Jinnai was genuinely an expert at; military tactics was arguably his greatest strength, and hence something that he could revel in. Hence, Jinnai was deliberately attempting to alter Haruhi's perception of herself, with a certain end goal in mind…

"Haruhi… _Don't you see?!_" Jinnai rhetorically asked, as he continued on with all the charismatic flavor that he could muster, "You and I are **just alike!** We both take what we want when we want it. People like us, Haruhi, are the ones who shape worlds, and who determine the destinies of _entire countries_ or even **planets!** That is because we are not bound by the conformist attitudes of the ordinary people around us; we aspire to _greater_ heights, and to _loftier_ aims. That is what makes us **natural rulers**, Haruhi! Like _all_ great rulers, we **dare** to break ranks with supposed heroes and even with allies like Diva when they get a bit too soft or uncertain."

Jinnai's speech here was hitting home for Haruhi, and on many points. There was much truth to it; truth that Haruhi found simultaneously unpleasant but also exhilarating.

"B-But I'm not _**a murderer**_, Katsuhiko!" exclaimed Haruhi, now being lead by her emotions as her mind found it increasingly difficult to counter Jinnai's arguments, "That is a line I would _**not**_ cross!"

"It's the only line that you haven't crossed yet, Haruhi" stated Jinnai in turn, as he softened his tone, but also made it slightly more seductive, complete with a devious grin, "But tell me… if we were back in Japan, and you found out that the Japanese government was holding extra terrestrials captive within their own version of America's Area 51, and the only way you could get to see those aliens was from killing a few guards… would you do it, Haruhi?"

"I-I…I" began Haruhi, sweating nervously over this hypothetical question that was leaving her very divided internally.

"Well, _**would you?!**_" asked Jinnai, after giving Haruhi about half a minute to answer, but with her still finding it impossible to answer.

"I-_**I don't know!**_" screamed Haruhi in flustered answer.

Jinnai grinned widely at the answer.

"See?" he continued, while firmly taking hold of Haruhi's shoulders, and looking down into her eyes, "You're almost there Haruhi! Please understand that everything I've said to you in our discussion here is the grandest of compliments coming from me. You are indeed my perfect ally! And together, we will rule all of El Hazard under the sole jurisdiction of _our_ SOS Brigade. Nowto seal our permanent alliance of victorious evilwith a kiss!"

In Jinnai's mind, he pictured his King of seductive evil knocking over Haruhi's King of reformation, meaning that Haruhi would now be the perfect _Queen_ to his **King**. Jinnai tenderly cupped one side of Haruhi's face with one hand, while his open mouth slowly angled downwards towards her mouth, intending to kiss it. Haruhi's lips instinctively opened slightly; helped along by the fact that a large part of Haruhi did in fact long for just this kiss.

'_**Check and mate!**__ Ha ha ha ha ha ha…!_' thought Jinnai to himself, as his lips were millimeters away from pressing upon Haruhi's.

Haruhi came perilously close to giving in to him, so inexorable yet enamoring and enchanting his words to her had been. Still, she found the strength within her to resist this temptation.

"N-No." she said weakly, before pulling her head away from Jinnai's, and raising a hand between his head and her's, "_**Not. Like. this!**_"

Jinnai was _stunned_, rather _hurt_, and almost jumped back from Haruhi's rejection here. He felt that his argumentation towards Haruhi had been flawless; perfectly executed and meticulously reasoned.

"Y-You're rejecting me?!" he exclaimed in emotionally stricken questioning reply.

"**No!**" shouted Haruhi in response, correcting him, "I'm not rejecting _you._ I'm rejecting this crazy notion that you and I are villains! It's not **the truth**, it's not **just**, and it doesn't reflect _the way_ that I have charted for the _Bugrom_ people!"

**S O S Man**

Instantaneously, Haruhi's words here conjured up the image of SOS Man in the minds of both her _and_ Jinnai. It was an image that Jinnai found strangely alluring, brining his extolling of villainy to a stop!

"That **struck a nerve**, _didn't it_, Katsuhiko?!" exclaimed Haruhi in rhetorical question, as she could tell how the look on Jinnai's face had been utterly changed by her words.

A buried portion of Jinnai's psyche was moved by this indirect allusion to SOS Man, but the dominant portion of Jinnai's psyche slithered away from it. That psychological response manifested itself as Jinnai turning away from Haruhi, and leaning up against the far wall of his room, as though he was about to go into a nervous breakdown again.

"Don't _**dare**_ turn away from me, Katsuhiko!" shouted Haruhi, "The reasoning behind my rejection of your glorifying of villainy is getting through to you, isn't it_?!_"

Katsuhiko was now shaking slightly, as inner conflicts began to _toil_ and _tear_ away at him anew. Haruhi could tell how shaken u_p_ Jinnai now was, and hence began to take a softer, and more compassionate tone with him.

"Listen, Katsuhiko…" she stated, as she used one hand to gently caress one of his arms, "You and I… we've both done some _horrible_ things. I see that now. I see where I've been wrong in the past. And you've been wrong in the past too. But we're not bad people, Katsuhiko! I know that deep down inside that you're a gentle person who just wants to see his name up in lights… just like Ido! You and I… both of us have been routinely and regularly rejected by the people around us that didn't _get_ us. I responded to it by forcing the creation of the SOS Brigade, and making Kyon, Mikuru, Koizumi, and Yuki be my friends whether they wanted to or not! And _you_ responded to it by closing yourself off to every other human, and finding a place with the bugrom. The cheers of the bugrom that love you and consider you their hero is what enables you to put on this act of being a villain. But that is all it is – **an act!** You could _never_ be a villain, Katsuhiko, if you didn't have your own army that would treat you like a hero instead! A _villain_ doesn't risk his life for another person, Katsuhiko! A _true_ villain doesn't treat others kindly like you have treated me. You're not meant to be the tyrannical warlord _Lord God Jinnai_; you're meant to be _the Champion of Truth, Justice, and the Bugrom Way_ **SOS Man!**"

Haruhi finally paused there, hoping that her words would get through the dark, twisted _animus_ that had so corrupted Jinnai to the deepest depths of his being. A torrential war now _raged_ within him, as petty vindictiveness and insatiable greed were pitted against a desire to be a hero, and most importantly, a desire to be _Haruhi's_ hero.

"I…" began Jinnai very weakly, almost in tears, "I _can't_, Haruhi. I just can't! **Not while **_**he**_** lives!**"

"_Sigh_" stated Haruhi, "It's _Makoto_, isn't it? It _always_ comes back to Makoto…"

"Well _**it does!**_" exclaimed Jinnai, turning about to face Haruhi, while he threw an arm up into the air, "As much as I hate to admit it… when it comes to being a hero_…_ Makoto has mebeat! He has me _**conclusively beat!**_"

"…I see" stated Haruhi, growing impatient with Jinnai but also with important realizations coming to her, "You would like to be a hero, but in your mind, Makoto has that role all sewn up, doesn't he?"

"_**Exactly!**_" answered Jinnai, "And so if I can't be the towering, roundly beloved hero…"

"…then the _next_ best thing is being the roundly feared and respected _villain_" stated Haruhi, finishing his sentence, "Yes, as a movie director_,_ I see your point, Katsuhiko. But this isn't a movie, Katsuhiko. This isn't _a game_ like _**Sagittarius III. **_This is _**real life…**_ and you need to start taking it for what it is."

"I _**am**_ taking it for what it is!" shouted a defiant Jinnai back at Haruhi, "_Look,_ let's get down to brass tacks here. How do you intend to have our names go up in lights, as you put it, through purely peaceful means? Let's hear it!"

Haruhi strained her mind to find a compelling answer to this challenging question. She could tell that reforming Jinnai could rest on what that answer was.

"There's more than one way to earn people's respect, Katsuhiko!" exclaimed Haruhi, finding the answer that she so desperately sought, "There's loads of harmless ways that you and I can gain a place of prominence throughout all of El Hazard**!** For example, just think of all the wondrous adventures that we and the bugrom can go on throughout El Hazard! This world is just teeming with discoveries to be made, and treasures to be unearthed! And making such discoveries, and unearthing such treasures, is how we will inspire the humans of El Hazard to join our SOS Brigade, and make a name for ourselves. We will be a group of scientific explorers that will **boldly go where no bugrom has gone before!**"

Haruhi stared carefully at Jinnai's face, searching for any sign that her reasoning was resonating with him. Thankfully for her, it was, at least to some degree.

"I… I _guess_ that could work" answered Jinnai honestly, "I guess that wouldn't be so bad. Ok, Haruhi, _fine…_ **you win.**"

"_**Yay!**_" shouted a jubilant Haruhi, taking hold of one of Jinnai's hands with both of hers as she jumped up and down, so ecstatic over the thought that she had successfully reformed her boyfriend.

"I _suppose_ you're going to want to negotiate peace between the Bugrom Empire and the Alliance; am I right_?_" asked Jinnai.

"Yes!" answered Haruhi enthusiastically, "It would mean a lot to me, Katsuhiko, if you came along with me to the peace negotiation that I've already set up with Princess Rune Venus for tomorrow!"

"You're certainly always planning ahead, aren't you?" asked Jinnai rhetorically, making a sly grin towards Haruhi, "Very well… as much as I'm dreading this meeting, I'll go to it for your sake."

"**Thank you Katsuhiko!**" exclaimed Haruhi, swiftly wrapping her arms around Jinnai to hug him tightly, and as tears of joy began to well up in her eyes, "I'm so glad that you've chosen to listen to me, and support me!"

"Well… you're worth it, Haruhi" responded Jinnai, gingerly returning her hug, "You're worth me giving your ideas an honest shot, at least."

Haruhi then released Jinnai from her bubbly hug, but while taking hold of one of his hands with both of hers again. Haruhi looked at Jinnai with an outright _effervescent_ countenance to her. Jinnai couldn't help but to be slightly cheered by the sheer unrestrained euphoriaof his girlfriend.

"It's going to be great to see you and Nanami back on good terms, Katsuhiko!" exclaimed Haruhi.

"I can live with that" stated Jinnai in turn, "It might be good to restore my sibling bond with Nanami."

"But _best of all_, Katsuhiko, is how I'm going to help you make up with Makoto!" shouted Haruhi.

_Ah, Haruhi…_ you had pushed your luck there. You had, as usual, gone _just a bit too far_ there.

The _Lord God Jinnai_ facet of Katsuhiko's personality was now reasserting itself. Jinnai's forehead began throbbing, his nostrils were flaring, and his face was contorting into disturbing formations at the _very idea_ of _making up with_ Makoto Mizuhara.

"_**No!**_" _growled_ Jinnai, as he _roughly_ pulled his right hand away from Haruhi's hold, "You're **going too far**, Haruhi! That's _asking too much_ of me!"

"B-but Katsuhiko…" began Haruhi in reply, stunned at his sudden about face, "You can't stop being a villain until you stop wanting to _kill_ or _seriously hurt_ Makoto!"

"I'll stop being a villain the moment _after_ I take care of Ma_ko_**to** **once and for all!**" exclaimed Jinnai in turn, "Once I have achieved my revenge on Mizuhara, then I'll try things your way, Haruhi. That's a fair compromise, if I do say so myself!"

Haruhi was now _shaking_ in displeasure, finding it incredibly aggravating to be _so close_ to what she had wanted, only to have it all snapped away from her at the last moment!

"_**No!**_" she _exploded_ at Jinnai, and while she started to motion forcefully with her arms and hands, "That's no sensible compromise _at all!_ I'm _not letting you_ get any more blood on your hands than what you already have, Katsuhiko!"

"What do you mean _you're not letting me?!_" snarled Jinnai in turn, as he leaned his head into Haruhi's, making _fiery_ eye contact with her, "I like you and respect you a lot, Haruhi, but **not** you, nor anyone else, _**can order me around!**_"

"**Yes. I. can!**" screamed Haruhi back at Jinnai, as they continued to make fiery and unrelenting eye contact with one another, "You're the Supreme Commander, and I'm _your_ **Bugrom Queen!** You're _my_ new Vice-Commander of the SOS Brigade, and I'm _your_ **SOS Brigade Commander!** I'm _pulling rank_, Katsuhiko, and **you will listen to me!!!**"

"… Now I see" sneered Jinnai, raising his head and coming back to an upright position, and as he actually stared down _contemptuously_ at Haruhi for the slightest of moments, "This is your _**dirty coup d'etat**_, isn't it! _Very_ impressive, Suzu_**~Miya!**_ But you can try to order me around as much as you want. I refuse to be bossed around like your _plaything_ Mikuru!"

Haruhi was _quaking_ in a tumultuous storm of pent up emotions coming unglued. Tears of stress began streaming from her eyes. After a tense pause, she shouted back at Jinnai.

"_**I hope that you're proud of yourself**_, Lord God Jinnai!" she screamed back at him, while using a saucy tone when stating his self-given title, "You've really hurt me this day! You've broken my heart like nobody else ever has! _**Congratulations,**_ Jinnai!"

These words made Jinnai catch himself, so to speak. _**He**_ had gone too far. He really had hurt Haruhi quite a bit. He felt a need to make immediate amends for it.

"Haruhi… look, I…" began Jinnai, trying to regain control of the civility, "I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"You're going to have to make a decision, Katsuhiko!" shouted Haruhi at him, still trembling in tears, "You're going to have to decide who means more to you: _Makoto_, or **me!**"

Jinnai gulped hard here; totally uncertain of what to say next. He wanted to comfort Haruhi, but at the same time… his _hatred_ and _loathing_ of Makoto made it impossible, he felt, for him to say what he wanted to say to her.

"Y-You mean a lot to me, Haruhi!" he finally stated to her.

"Then you're going to have to prove it" stated Haruhi, finally calming herself a bit, "I'm sorry, Katsuhiko, but I'm having you _locked up in your room_ until you _promise_ to Groucho that you will _never again_ try to seriously hurt or kill Makoto."

"_**W-What?!**_" exclaimed a stunned Jinnai in questioning reply.

"_**You heard me!**_" reiterated Haruhi to him, "I'm locking you up in your room, and making Groucho your 24/7 prison guard. I'm going to instruct him to release you the moment that you promise to him that you'll never again try to seriously hurt or kill Makoto. As Bugrom Queen, I _do_ have the authority to have you locked up for _insubordination_, Katsuhiko!"

Jinnai now felt like a completely broken and beaten man. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to do! Jinnai could merely collapse back into his chair, leaning over with his head between his legs, clutching his head with his two hands as he tried to silence the war between _his conscience_ and his _petty vindictiveness_.

Haruhi calmed herself enough to observe that Jinnai was battling against his deepest inner demons at this hour.

"I know that it's hard, Katsuhiko" she said to him in a sympathetic tone, "But you're going to have to make that promise to Groucho, all the same! I'll make sure that Groucho takes good care of you, alright? I'll see to it that you're well-fed and that Dr. Tofu checks up on you regularly. I… I _believe_ in you, Katsuhiko. I believe that you'll eventually make the right decision. But for now… _goodbye_."

And with that, Bugrom Queen Haruhi Suzumiya left the Supreme Commander's room, _locking_ him inside of it with her master key after shutting the door behind her. She stood rigid and still for a moment just a few feet outside of Jinnai's room, clutching the necklace that Jinnai had given her, while gazing down at the floor beneath her. She was _very_ hurt, and _very_ troubled. However, she chose to put her faith in what Mikuru had said to her. She would _believe_ in Katsuhiko Jinnai, and she would give him some time to make the right choice; the choice that only _he_ could make. Yet she was not without her doubts, and in her heart it felt like her romance with Jinnai was hanging in the balance. Thankfully for Haruhi, the top Bugrom soldier Groucho was there to console her.

"G-Groucho" she stated, as she just noticed him standing next to her, "H-how long have you been there for? Did you… did you hear everything?"

"Please forgive me my intrusiveness, my Queen" began Groucho in reply, "But I felt like I needed to eavesdrop on this most important conversation between the Queen and Supreme Commander of the glorious Bugrom Empire! I will accept any punishment you deem necessary for such an disobedient act on my part, my Queen!"

"No punishment is necessary, Groucho, since you did what you did out of concern for Katsuhiko and me" began Haruhi in response to that, "Also, I guess that I don't need to bother to give you those jailor instructions then, huh?"

"No, my Queen. I am Lord Jinnai's prison guard until he submits to your just demands!" replied Groucho in turn, "I will do your bidding, Queen Haruhi!"

"I know that this can't be easy for you, Groucho" began Haruhi in turn, "What with you and Katsuhiko having been best friends for so long…"

"I am disappointed in the boss." admitted Groucho, "But still, you did move him a lot, my Queen! You stood up to Lord Jinnai like Diva never did! I am proud of you, my Queen! Don't give up hope, yet! Once I'm up to it, I'll have a good talk with my best bud, and I'm going to get through to him for you!"

"Thank you, Groucho" replied Haruhi, "Also, will Diva and the Bugrom Empire as a whole… will they be Ok with my plans for peace, you think?"

"Truthfully, Haruhi" began Groucho, so moved by his Queen's actions and words over the past hour that he couldn't help but to drop formalities with her briefly, "The Bugrom have had our share of war. Oh, we'd _relish_ further conquests lead by the boss because we all think the world of him, but peace… _real_ peace… would be what we'd want _the most_, Haruhi."

"I'm very pleased to hear that, Groucho!" responded Haruhi, while making a smile to him, "Ok then… I need to compose myself. I'm now going to head back to Florestica along with Chico, Gummo, Zeppo, and Margaret on the Red Comet. We will be representing the Bugrom Empire at the peace negotiations tomorrow… given how Katsuhiko can't come. Wish me luck, Groucho!"

"I would, but you won't need it, my Queen!" exclaimed Groucho, "I _know_ that you will achieve the end of warfare that the Bugrom people have desired for untold ages!"

Groucho's words of support had served to replenish Haruhi Suzumiya given her emotionally exhaustive and scarring confrontation with Katsuhiko Jinnai. She hence hugged her top Bugrom soldier, before rushing off to inform Diva of what she would be doing next. Groucho, however, had not been the only one to eavesdrop on Haruhi's confrontation with Jinnai, however.

"Ha ha ha ha…!" chuckled Lord Galus, as he settled back into his chair after watching Haruhi closely for the past hour, "_That_ was certainly an entertaining spectacle! These Earthlings have so little control over their emotions, don't they?"

"True, Lord Galus" responded Nahato with a grin, "Still, I'm concerned about how Nanoha has not returned to us yet!"

"_Forget_ about Nanoha" stated Lord Galus, "Clearly she failed her mission, and hence… as much as it grieves me to say it… she isn't fit to be a Shadow Tribe Assassin. The _main_ news, Nahato, is that Katsuhiko Jinnai has now removed himself as a variable that we need to concern ourselves with. _That_ will make my final plan much more likely to succeed. Can you tell me what that plan is, Nahato?"

"Unpredictable variables like Katsuhiko Jinnai, and like Mikuru Asahina, is what foiled us before…" began Nahato in reply, "Hence_,_ instead of trying to maneuver around them as though they were avoidable obstacles, we're going to draw all of the remaining variables into our trap!"

"Precisely, Nahato" responded Lord Galus in smiling reply, "Instead of _us_ focusing on Haruhi Suzumiya, we're going to make _our enemies_ focus on her_…_ by making her _**the bait! **_Now then_…_ Yuki Nagato… will you please grace us one more with your presence?"

"Yes, Lord Galus" stated Yuki Nagato in a low tone, displaying just the slightest touch of sadness in her voice.

Lord Galus than turned his chair around to greet her.

"Tell me, Yuki…" he began in mocking statement, "How are the neural inhibitors that I have had you outfitted with? Are they comfortable? Do they _feel_ good? _Heh heh heh…_"

The Shadow Tribe scientists and engineers were a very advanced, crafty, and resourceful bunch. Since Galus had become aware of Yuki's likely desire to reconnect with the integrated data entity, he hadput his Shadow Tribe scientist team to work on designing neural inhibitors that could prevent Yuki from sending any sort of messages to that entity. As such, the neural inhibitors prevented Yuki from sending any sort of message beyond a radius that would take them beyond El Hazard's upper atmosphere, hence blocking her from reconnecting with the integrated data entity.

"They are working within acceptable parameters, Lord Galus" responded Yuki Nagato.

"And how about you yourself, my dear?" asked Galus with a mischievous smile, "Are you repaired from the earlier Mikuru Beams?"

"Yes, I am operating at optimal parameters, Master of the Key Staff" answered Yuki Nagato, as internally she was growing to loath Galus more and more.

"_**Perfect**_" replied Galus, "Then please follow Haruhi Suzumiya to the ill-fated peace negotiations in Florestica. Await further instructions from me there."

In Galus' mind, Katsuhiko Jinnai, and the Bugrom Empire by extension, had been _neutralized._ Jinnai's stubborn refusal to give up his feud with Makoto Mizuhara had seen to that. Now, Galus intended to draw Sensei Fujisawa, Makoto, Mikuru, the Three Priestesses, myself, and Koizumi if we should revive him, all into his _final_ trap.

Haruhi was gambling on _peace and order_, while Galus was gambling on _conflict and chaos…_

**To be Continued…!**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 – The Final Solution of Galus

Before returning to Florestica, Haruhi held a brief meeting with Diva to inform Diva of what had happened to her in Florestica, of her plans for peace, and of the punishment that she had chosen to inflict upon Katsuhiko Jinnai for insubordination. Diva was very much taken aback, at least at first, by all three of these revelations, and a part of her felt decidedly concerned for _Mr. Jinnai_. However, Diva was impressed by the quick decisive actions of Queen Haruhi, and hence in spite of some of her misgivings, she gave Haruhi her full support. Indeed, Diva mentioned to Haruhi how global peace had been the aims of Diva's own mother, and hence she would love for Haruhi to succeed in this ambitious endeavor.

Several hours later, with Chicho, Gummo, Zeppo, and Margaret all standing just behind a stoic Haruhi on the Red Comet, the six made an imposing scene as they landed in the royal courtyard of Roshtaria on the late evening of the SOS Brigade's eight day in El Hazard. Londs and two Roshtarian guards kneeled in cordial and respectful greeting for the Bugrom Queen, in spite of their inner resentments towards the bugrom. They did this out of an abiding respect for Princess Rune Venus, who joyfully welcomed Haruhi back to Florestica, as Haruhi leapt off of the Red Comet, complete with her bugrom entourage. The most joyful greeting for Haruhi, however, did not come from Rune Venus, but rather from Haruhi's newest friend Nanami Jinnai.

"**Welcome back, Haruhi!**" exclaimed Nanami, while waving her right hand enthusiastically through the air, and pushing everybody else aside to take hold of Haruhi's hand.

"Hi Nanami!" responded Haruhi with a slight smile, glad to be greeted by someone that she felt that she could let her hair down with, so to speak, when around.

"We were all a bit worried about you when you flew back to your Hive so suddenly like that!" exclaimed Nanami, "Did you have a chat with Katsuhiko?"

"…_Yeah_" answered Haruhi dejectedly, _instantly_ revealing how the chat had not gone well, in Haruhi's mind.

"He didn't mistreat you did he?!" asked Nanami, narrowing her eyes, and suspecting the worst, as usual, of her brother.

"No" responded Haruhi, "Not _intentionally_ anyway. I just couldn't get through to him."

"Well" stated Nanami, "Why don't the two of us talk about it for a little while. Afterwards, everybody else has a big surprise ready for you!"

"Ok, Nanami" replied Haruhi, "It might be good to get it off my chest, I guess…"

"Could we, um… talk without the bugrom around?" asked Nanami, noticing how Chico, Gummo, Zeppo, and Margaret were sticking to Haruhi like spider webs.

"Oh sure, that shouldn't be a problem." stated Haruhi, as she turned around to address her accompanying bugrom, "_**Hey you all! **_I'm Ok with Nanami. You don't have to worry about protecting me or anything. Why don't you… um…er…"

"Based on Dr. Schtalubaugh's extensive knowledge of the bugrom, we have prepared what we hope to be fitting accommodations for your bugrom party, Queen Haruhi" stated Londs to Haruhi, bowing slightly to her, "Please allow me to lead them there."

"Sure, that would be great!" replied Haruhi, "But first _**take this!**_"

Haruhi then shoved the _Bugrom Resource manual_ that Katsuhiko Jinnai had authored for her close up to Londs' face, stunning him slightly.

"Hhhmmm… a Bugrom Resource manual?!" exclaimed Londs, after taking a moment to recover from Haruhi's unexpected gesture, "Dr. Schtalubaugh should find this _most_ fascinating!"

"You can share it with him if you like!" responded Haruhi, "It contains almost everything that you could ever want to know about the bugrom! It's one of my favorite books! Hopefully, it'll help you to take good care of Chico, Gummo, Zeppo, and Margaret for tomorrow's meeting."

"Thank you for sharing that with Londs, my Queen" stated Margaret to Haruhi, "Very few El Hazard humans know much about the bugrom, and that resource manual should ensure that our stay in Florestica is not an entirely unpleasant one."

"Right!" shouted Haruhi to Margaret, "You four try to have a good time Ok? I'll make sure to check in with you before we all go to sleep for the night!"

The four bugrom then thanked Haruhi before heading off after Londs and his two accompanying Roshtarian guards.

Haruhi then took a relaxing private stroll along with Nanami, where the two chit-chatted for a bit, mainly about the pristine beauty of the royal palace of Florestica, before eventually discussing Haruhi's heated confrontation with Katsuhiko Jinnai. Nanami had earlier agreed with Makoto, Sensei Fujisawa, the three Priestesses, and I, that one-on-one female companionship through this difficult time was exactly what Haruhi needed; hence, we allowed Nanami to spend some time alone with Haruhi on this late evening before we all sprung a little surprise for her.

"So_…_" began Nanami delicately, changing subjects from Roshtarian architecture to matters relating to the architecture of the figurative heart, "What, exactly, did you and Katsuhiko talk about?"

"Well…" began Haruhi, "Very soon after I expressed my objections to using literal war to enlarge the SOS Brigade, he tried to get me to embrace his _permanent alliance of victorious evil_, as he called it."

"_So_ predictable" stated Nanami, rolling her eyes, but before showing complimentary enthusiasm towards Haruhi, "But you resisted it, didn't you, Haruhi?!"

"That's right! **I did!**" shouted Haruhi back at Nanami, while making a proud face, "Mainly for the sake of you, and all the other nice people, that I've met in Florestica, actually, Nanami!"

"I'm glad to hear it" responded Nanami, "So what happened then?"

"Then, after awhile, I talked Katsuhiko into agreeing to give up warfare, and instead work with me in a SOS Brigade that would be dedicated to a mission of **bold scientific exploration!**" exclaimed Haruhi with a grin, and while motioning expressively with her arms and hands.

"Y-y-you **what?!**" stammered Nanami, in utter disbelief.

"Is something wrong, Nanami?" asked Haruhi, puzzled by Nanami's response.

"Didn't you say that you couldn't get through to Katsuhiko?!" asked a confused Nanami.

"Well, he **did** refuse to give up on his obsession to get revenge on Makoto!" explained Haruhi.

Nanami took about half a minute to take this all in. She then, finally, began to share her take on what Haruhi had disclosed to her.

"Still, Haruhi, getting Katsuhiko to give in on _anything_ is a major accomplishment!" exclaimed Nanami in turn.

"Really, Nanami?" asked Haruhi in turn, having rarely found Jinnai hard to deal with until her latest discussion with him.

"Yes!" answered Nanami, "My brother is as stubborn as they come! He must like you a lot to actually give in to you on a fairly important point."

Haruhi then became silent, thoughtful, and reflective. _Had_ she simply gone too far with Katsuhiko, she began to wonder? Would it have been better if she had taken a more gradual approach with him? Haruhi actually started to feel a bit guilty given Nanami's words.

"Haruhi…" continued Nanami, "I… I _really_ don't have a right to ask this of you, but…"

"No!" shouted Haruhi, "Go ahead, Nanami. You've really been there for me, so if I can help you out at all…"

"_Well…_" continued Nanami, "While it's so long ago that it's a fading memory, I do recall a time when… when my brother and I were actually pretty close with one another."

"Oh yeah?" asked Haruhi, a bit excitedly.

"Yeah" replied Nanami, "My brother and I used to play together a lot… go fishing together… stuff like that. Then… there was this _big_ bully in town around Katsuhiko and my age called Ranma Taro. This big bully would even pick on girls, he was so terrible! Katsuhiko tried to stand up for me, but… he got clobbered. Pretty decisively too, I'm afraid."

"That… _might_ help to explain a lot, actually" Haruhi interjected.

"You could be right" admitted Nanami, "_Annyyy_way, right after Katsuhiko was almost knocked out and bruised up a lot by Ranma, our good friend Makoto came walking on by. Makoto instantly rushed to my rescue, gave Ranma a good punch right to the kisser, and forced that no-good rotten bully to run all the way back to his home in Nerima! Afterwards, I thanked Makoto profusely for saving me, and Makoto and I became best friends every since! Gradually, over time, I kind of drifted away from my brother after that. I think he was jealous of how Makoto saved me when he couldn't, and it made him really mad to see Makoto and me hanging out more and more…"

_Everything_ was starting to become clear to Haruhi. Combining what Nanami was now telling her with what Katsuhiko's mom had told her, Haruhi was starting to piece together the puzzle behind Jinnai's obsession with Makoto in her mind. For the briefest of moments, Haruhi felt _very sad_ for Jinnai.

"So long story short" continued Nanami, "I… I don't say this easily, but… part of me would like to have my brother back. I _really_ would!"

"…You want me to keep trying to get through to him" stated Haruhi in turn, "Is _that_ what you're asking of me, Nanami?"

"I don't think that anybody but _you_ can get through to him, Haruhi!" answered Nanami in a fashion.

"Ok, Nanami" responded Haruhi with a slight smile, "I'll keep tying. I really can't make any guarantees, but for your sake… if not my own… I'll keep trying."

"Thanks, Haruhi!" replied a smiling Nanami, before winking at Haruhi "Now then, all of your new friends here in Florestica have a little surprise for you! _**Come with me!**_"

In a delicious moment of irony, Haruhi was now the one to be lead around by the hand by a fast moving jubilant teenaged girl. Nanami practically marched Haruhi into the center of a large kitchen area of sorts where all the lights had been turned out.

"Now, Makoto, turn on the lights!" exclaimed Nanami.

Makoto flipped the switch, and…

"~_**Surprise!~**_" shouted Alielle, Princess Fatora, Afura Mann, Miz Mishtal, Shayla Shayla, Makoto Mizuhara, Sensei Fujisawa, Nanami Jinnai, Mikuru Asahina, myself… and one other.

"**Har-U-Hi!**" exclaimed Ura jovially.

Confetti streamers popped loudly, tiny firecrackers sizzled, circus sounds could be heard all around, and…

"_**Koizumi!**_" exclaimed Haruhi cheerfully, as Itsuki Koizumi, with the smile of a child, was now standing right in front of her, "You're back up and Ok!"

"I… kind of felt that everyone was blowing my recovery out of proportions with this big brouhaha, but…" stated Itsuki sheepishly.

"Oh, _come on_, Koizumi…" I said to him in a mischievous tone, "You _know_ that you love it!"

"I'm so relieved to see you back up and healthy again, Koizumi!" shouted Haruhi, "**Thank Dr. Schtalubaugh!**"

"Your _Bugrom Resource manual_ is all the thanks the good Dean needs" stated Afura Mann with a sly grin.

"Yeah, the old coot hasn't stopped reading it since Londs gave it to him!" added in Shayla Shayla.

"_Now_ Shayla" interjected Miz Mishtal, while winking to Sensei Fujisawa, "That's no way to talk about your elders!"

"And there's _still_ more surprise to go, you elegant lascivious Bugrum Queen!" stated Princess Fatora, bouncing her hips slightly as she sashayed over to Haruhi, "From one member of royal standing to another, let me present you to the attempt of Alielle and I to match your skill at making seductive outfits for women!"

"That's _**~right~!**_" exclaimed Alielle cheerfully, _**"~Fatora~**_ and I proudly present to you…. _**Roshtarian cabaret dancer Mikuru Asahina!**_"

With that, Alielle and Fatora slid to opposite sides from one another, and revealed a shaking and trembling Mikuru Asahina, with more make up on than should _ever_ see the face of a _high school_ girl! I _instantly_ brought my face to my palm.

"…_Wow…_" exclaimed Haruhi, "You look _gorgeous_, Mikuru! You could easily pass for an adult now, too!"

"I-I'm glad you like it, Haruhi..." responded Mikuru, "I-It feels really strange to have all this make up on though!"

"Do you _approve_, Haruhi?" asked Fatora, leaning her face over Haruhi's shoulder from behind, and while Fatora raised her eyebrows and bit her lips sensuously.

"_**Most definitely!**_" exclaimed Haruhi, turning around and pumping an arm into the air.

"Isn't Haruhi _**so adorable**_, ~Fatora~!" squealed Alielle, as she squirmed her body back and forth as though preparing herself to swim in pudding… _uugghhh_, why did I give myself that mental image?

"She is indeed!" added in Fatora, "So Haruhi… I heard that you've… suffered some… _romantic hurts_ lately."

"H-hey now!" stated Haruhi, blushing slightly "I don't want to talk about that to _everyone_!"

"Oh, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to _Haruhi…_" added Alielle, while she playfully pointed the index fingers of each of her hands at each other, "Fatora and I were just wondering if… _well…_ if you would mind joining the two of us for some… _**~quality time~**_ … if you know what we mean!"

"Just think of it, Haruhi!" exclaimed Fatora, "Can you imagine the _juicy gossip_ it would create?! Bugrom Queen Haruhi Suzumiya… oh so depressed after the Bugrom Supreme Commander himself broke her heart… finds renewed hope and love in the arms of Roshtarian Princess Fatora! Could a _royal marriage_ between the Bugrom Empire and the Alliance be far behind?! _**What a story**_ it would make for the cocktail circuit! And it would _really help_ the peace negotiations tomorrow!"

Haruhi started slowly backing away from Fatora, putting both of her hands up in a defensive posture.

"I think we all need a solid night of sleep tonight" stated Haruhi, "I'll keep your flattering offers in mind, though!"

"Hhmmm…" mused Fatora, just before pointing at me, "Would it be better if the _manage a trios_ was you, me… and _Kyon_ over there?"

"_**W-w-what?!**_" I asked explosively, while turning beat red.

"**Fatora!**" screamed a hurt Alielle, "How could you leave _**~me~**_ out of the fun, huh?!"

"_Sigh_" stated Fatora, shrugging her shoulders, "It was worth a try I guess. _Come on_, Alielle… I guess it's just me and _the old ball and chain_ tonight!"

"_**Hey**_, I'm not like a ball and chain _**at all!**_" exclaimed Alielle, "And I'm not old either!"

For _my_ part, I was breathing a _very_ deep sigh of relief. I think that Haruhi was too. With Fatora's sexual escapades kept down to a minimum, Haruhi decided to turn her attention back to Koizumi. Koizumi explained to her that he wouldn't be able to be around Florestica tomorrow for the Peace Summit, since him and a team of native El Hazard espers that had mysteriously just popped up recently… probably tied to subconscious wishes on Haruhi's part… had to go take care of a bunch of… _psychic disturbances_, Itsuki called them. Really, they were _closed spaces_. Nonetheless, it was actually a pretty pleasant late evening in Florestica right now. And after a spirited late evening of celebrating Koizumi's recovery provided much needed emotional relief for Haruhi, she slept quite soundly. So did all of us in Florestica, as we knew that a good night's rest would be necessary for everyone to be alert and ready for tomorrow's _incredibly_ important peace negotiation.

Early the next morning, Itsuki, and his team of El Hazard espers, _tirelessly_ continued to clear out all of the closed spaces on El Hazard, one by one.

Haruhi, with Princess Rune Venus's approval, decided to have Chico, Gummo, Zeppo, Margaret, and _I_ join her for the actual peace summit negotiations. Haruhi felt that having me by her side would help to serve to keep her relaxed during what forecasted to be a likely very intense peace negotiation. However, after Princess Rune officially called the peace negotiation to a start, as all the key participants sat within assigned seating within a circular formation, it began rather unexpectedly.

"_Well…_" quickly began the finely dressed in green and gold robes King Caemeo of the country of Engrome, as he rose to his feet, and tried his best to be charming and _disarming_ towards Haruhi, "Let me be the first to say that it is a _historic honor_ for this collection of mostly older distinguished gentlemen, Princesses Rune Venus and Fatora notwithstanding of course, to be bedecked by the presence of the _bewitching_ Bugrom Queen herself. I never would have dreamt that the Queen of the Bugrom would prove to be such a _lovely_ young woman of _exquisite_ taste!"

Haruhi actually became embarrassed by these stunning words, causing her face to flush a pale red, and her eyes to heighten in alertness. She looked up at the six foot tall Caemeo, with his handsome, clean shaven, chiseled features and his robust but lean build. He actually appeared a great deal like a cross between Galus in the disguise of an Alliance Lord, and Galus' actual appearance, as Caemeo had short silvery hair.

"**Caemeo!**" exclaimed Potentate Pluto Paulus of the nation of Fasudan, rising quickly to his feet as well, while scowling at the King of Engrome, "_You are a married man!_"

"_Ah, Pluto…_" replied Caemeo with a dismissive tilt of his head, while continuing to gesture chivalrously towards Haruhi, "_Must_ you take _everything_ so seriously? I am _merely_ extending warm greetings to this _enchanting_ Bugrom Queen who _stills my heart_ with her _touching_ desire for peace. I trust, most esteemed Queen Haruhi, that in return for the beauteous realm of Engrome agreeing to such peace, that you could perchance spare us… oh, say… a couple thousand of your bugrom soldiers to help in reconstructing the buildings in Engrome that were, after all, destroyed by the bugrom, in the last great war?"

This Caemeo was certainly one _smooth_ talker…

"I guess that I could arrange for that…" replied Queen Haruhi, "I mean… once my Hive has been rebuilt of course!"

"That is quite understandable, Queen Haruhi" responded Caemeo with enough sweetness to give you a sugar rush, "I _bow_ to your most _magnanimous_ resolution. And _with_ that bow, I symbol my willingness to sign on to peace with the bugrom."

His decision already made, Caemeo gracefully returned to a sitting position, with a dark radiance about him, as he was clearly quite pleased with himself. I was actually wishing that Katsuhiko Jinnai was here to ensure that Haruhi didn't _over_ capitulate in these peace negotiations.

"Haruhi_…_" I whispered to her, "You _have_ to be more careful. These guys are _pros._ They'll _swindle_ you if you're not more cautious."

"I _know_, Kyon…" she whispered back to me, "Caemeo _seems_ nice, but I could tell that he was just trying to _butter me up_ to get as much out of these negotiations for his country as possible. But that doesn't change the fact that it's only right for the bugrom to rebuild what they destroyed, including the buildings of Caemeo's country. Besides_…_ some sacrifices are worth it for the sake of peace."

I was genuinely _impressed_ by Haruhi here. She had _matured_, somehow, in recent days. Assuming the role of Bugrom Queen, and perhaps her confrontation with Katsuhiko Jinnai had served to _enlighten_ her in some ways, to some of her _own_ faults and areas needing improvement. She was truly _growing_ into the role of a true Queen.

"Caemeo may be easy to please, Bugrom Queen…" came the gravelly yet firm voice of Lord Megraton, an older man with sullen cheeks but a distinguished brow, "But not _all_ of us are! My country of _Cyberica_ has been _ravaged_ frequently over its three hundred year history by the bugrom, but the man that despoiled it the most is _your_ General, _**Katsuhiko Jinnai!**_ As a necessary condition for any peace agreement, I **demand** that you hand him over to us to stand trial for war crimes!"

"_**Hear hear!**_" shouted the short and stout Potentate Pluto in noisome agreement.

Many in attendance on the Alliance side loudly echoed Megraton's sentiments; indeed, only Prince Randorm, King Caemeo, and the Roshtarians chose not to do so.

"I beseech you to not give in to this outrageous demand, my Queen!" stated Chico to Haruhi in loud whisper, desperately wanting to ensure the well being of his dear friend and superior Jinnai.

"**No!**" exclaimed Haruhi to Megraton and those in agreement with him, rising to her feet and in stern posture, "That is too high a price to pay. The Bugrom Supreme Commander is beloved by my people, and hence I would be doing a disservice to them if I allowed him to meet with such an ignoble fate. However, you have my assurances on two key points. First of all, _my_ General Katsuhiko Jinnai is currently being _disciplined_ by me for engaging in warfare in Gannan without my explicit approval. His _punishment_ is imprisonment for an indeterminate period of time. Secondly, he has acquiesced to my demands that, should these peace negotiations meet with a successful conclusion, that he will cease leading hostilities against your Alliance nations, and will instead join me in helping to enlarge the SOS Brigade into the _science and research society_ that I intend for it to be!"

"_Well done_, Haruhi." stated a supportive Nanami in a loud whisper while she and a few others secretly overlooked the peace negotiations from just outside an ajar door.

"_It brings a tear to my eye…!_" added in Sensei Fujisawa becoming slightly chocked up, "It reminds me _so much_ of the mock UN meetings I used to hold for our classes back at Shinonome High!"

"Haruhi is a surprisingly good diplomat!" interjected Makoto, "And this science and research society sounds great!"

"_Ssshhhhh_" stated Nanami, "Quiet down, you two. We don't want to interrupt this meeting when Haruhi looks to have it going perfectly."

However, there were still many obstacles left for Haruhi to overcome.

"So, then, Queen Haruhi" stated Princess Rune Venus, trying to help Haruhi along through ensuring clarification, "When you instructed Katsuhiko Jinnai to spread this _SOS Brigade_ into Gannan, your _true_ intention was for him to _peacefully_ impel people into enlisting with a science and research society."

"A most enterprising and intriguing aim indeed!" interjected Dr. Schtalubaugh, standing behind the two Princesses of Roshtaria so that the Royal Academy could properly chronicle this unprecedented meeting, "Perhaps the Royal Academy of Roshtaria could work hand in exoskeleton with the Bugrom Empire in reaching the desired scientific achievements and discoveries of your SOS Brigade, Bugrom Queen."

"_**Yes**_, Dr. Schtalubaugh!" exclaimed Haruhi while flashing a wide smile towards him, "That would be a **totally cool** way for the Alliance and Bugrom Empire to grow closer together! And Princess Rune is correct. Katsuhiko… misunderstood my orders, I'm afraid."

"_Totally cool_?" began Megraton in a mocking tone, "And you couldn't even properly convey yourself to your **top General?!** _Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! _You betray your age and naïve nature, Bugrom Queen. And we are to believe that _you_ can reign in _Katsuhiko Jinnai?!_ _**Ha ha ha ha!**_"

"Megraton is right, I fear" stated Pluto Paulus, "I do not wish to disrespect Queen Haruhi, for I sense sincerity in her words. Nonetheless, it is well known throughout El Hazard how Haruhi's predecessor had given free reign to Katsuhiko Jinnai, going even so far as allowing him to make ultimatums on behalf of the entire Bugrom Empire! I have _grave_ doubts that a man of _galling_ ambitions like Jinnai can be effectively restrained by the _current_ Bugrom Queen either."

"That is where you are wrong!" exclaimed Haruhi, somewhat angrily in response, "Look, I had a very heated confrontation with Katsuhiko. He used very compelling reasoning to try to talk me over. **It didn't work!** I'm here, and **he's not!** If _anybody_ can reign in, as you put it, Katsuhiko Jinnai, **it's me!**"

That brought the entire summit to a pause. Paulus raised both of his eyebrows over Haruhi's impassioned words, beginning to reconsider his earlier estimation of her. Caemeo was amused, and genuinely found Haruhi enchanting at this moment, as he carefully deliberated on her words while he had one of his fingers stroke his lips. Princess Rune was slightly concerned by Haruhi's frankness and open admissions. Princess Fatora, however, found the same to be most arousing and effective. Even Megraton had been temporarily silenced by Haruhi's words.

"I _want_ to believe you, Bugrom Queen" responded Paulus, "I have no desire to go hunting bugrom as certain sectarians and xenophobes do. I would _welcome_ peace. I lost loved ones in the last war, and I have no desire to lose more. If you can provide us with some _concrete evidence_ of Katsuhiko Jinnai's capitulation to you…"

Haruhi began to look stressed out, and breathed uneasily. She had wrestled control of the Bugrom Empire from Katsuhiko Jinnai, but _he himself_ was much more difficult to control. She didn't know if she could emotionally handle another heated confrontation with him. She _feared_ that Jinnai would again insist on _his_ idea of a compromise.

"I'll give you the _'concrete evidence'_, Haruhi… _if_ **you **agree to let me kill Makoto." she imagined him saying to her.

'Why are you doing this to me Katsuhiko?!' she thought to herself, 'How could you put me through so much pain and turmoil?! I thought… I thought that you liked me…'

"_Paulus_" stated Prince Randorm, rising up, and deciding to come to Haruhi's defense as he could tell how distraught she had become, "You are asking for too much. Don't you see what the Bugrom Queen has revealed to us? Two things are clear; she has a praiseworthy _passion_ for peace. Yet, in spite of that, she is not willing to hand the undisputed _war criminal_ Katsuhiko Jinnai over to us. Therefore, she _must_ feel an attachment to him."

"That only makes matters _worse_, _**Randorm**_!" snarled Megraton.

"Quite the contrary, Megraton" stated Randorm, "This Bugrom Queen wants peace _so_ badly that she fought against a will as fierce as Katsuhiko Jinnai's; a will wielded by a man _that she likes, _and yet, against all odds, she emerged victorious. We could not ask for a better champion of peace on the Bugrom side. It would be _shameful_ of us, and shameful of the Alliance _as a whole_, if we did not grasp her outreached hand tightly in the cause of achieving peace!"

And with that, Randorm walked over towards Haruhi, extending his hand to her. Stirred by this stranger's words, Haruhi vigorously took hold of Randorm's hand in turn.

"Thank you…" she said to him, as she looked up at him, "These… past three days… have been so hard."

"I know, my dear" he stated in a soft, understanding tone, "I know."

"…Very well" stated Paulus, "Randorm, even at his young age, is a good judge of character. I will join with him, _and_ Caemo, _if_ you agree to hand Gannan back to its rightful government."

"I will certainly agree to that" stated Haruhi, "However, I'd like for those who are members of the SOS Brigade in that country to _remain_ members of the SOS Brigade in its… _science and research society_ formulation."

"I can agree with that" stated a refugee from Gannan, representing his nation at this meeting.

"Very well then" stated Princess Rune Venus, rising with a smile, "With Durasland, Gannan, Engrome, Fasudan, _and_ Roshtaria all in agreement, which makes up a supermajority of the Alliance Security Council, peace between the Alliance and the Bugrom Empire has been agreed on this day that will _never_ be forgotten! _Megraton_, will you make it unanimous?"

Megraton began to grumble wrathfully, _particularly_ incensed over Paulus' unexpected _betrayal_, as he saw it. Still, he didn't want his Cyberica to be the lone Alliance nation left out of a momentous peace accord. He could tell that Haruhi was willing to pay _reparations_ of sorts to Alliance nations, and he didn't want Cyberica to be the _only_ nation left out on those particular benefits. As such, he was actually about to agree to peace until…

"This **abhorrent abomination** of a meeting will _**not**_ be allowed to continue!" came a black hooded man brandishing some sort of advanced rifle as he actually charged into the meeting room on horseback, as the horse neighed disruptively!

Almost everybody in the room gasped at the site, as the sounds of gunfire and the smell of cannon fodder promptly permeated the entire room.

This man was dressed from head to toe in black regalia, but had an infamous blue octagon shaped symbol embroidered upon the right shoulder of his overcoat. Following quickly behind him were at least two dozen similarly attired men, all on foot, and with the symbol of the blue octagon with cuts made next to each angle, embroidered upon their right shoulders. About half of these men fanned out across the room, pointing a gun at the twelve most politically powerful Alliance dignitaries, nobles, or persons of note, in the room. The rest all had their guns pointed directly at Haruhi and Chico.

"W-what is the meaning of this?!" exclaimed an indignant Dr. Schtalubaugh, being one of the twelve Alliance representatives to have guns pointed at him or her, "_**Where is Londs?!**_"

"Londs and the _species traitorous slime_ that makes up the current royal guard of Roshtaria have been _**taken out!**_" shouted the hooded man on horseback, clearly the leader of this gang of terrorists, "My men and I have seized control of this meeting! We are _**the Black Knights of Zala!**_"

A sheer look of _terror_ washed across Haruhi's face, as she wanted to back away, but found herself, Chico, and I surrounded on all sides. Chico was growing _enraged._

"Now we bring **cleansing judgment** down upon the _**bugrom scum**_ in our midst…" he continued to pontificate, and as he turned about to wave his arm forward and point a finger directly at Haruhi, "…starting with _the head_ of that _cancerous blight_ upon El Hazard!"

Dozens of guns began discharging. _These_ guns were metallic bullet propellers, like the typical guns of Earth. The Black Knights of Zala, I would learn, liked to see _the blood_ of their enemies spilt complete with puncture holes, and hence objected to the more modern electrocution rifles. That made things slightly easier for me, however.

"**You racist fools!**" I shouted, as I motioned one arm forward, using my magnetic powers to immediately take control of every gun held, and flying bullet exiting chambers, controlled by the Black Knights of Zala.

Many more loud gasps, as well as the sounds of palpitating hearts, could be heard at the amazing sights of dozens of kinetically charged bullets being held aloft in midair.

"_Duke!_" shouted the leader of the Black Knights of Zala to one of his men, "Take out the _alien magnet man_! Use your _wooden nightstick_!"

One of the Black Knights that had previously been trying to kill Haruhi _leapt_ towards me, holding a wooden knife stick in his hands, about to strike me down with it! It took all of my concentration to simply hold back the guns and gunfire of the Black Knights, and so I was in no position to defend myself in close quarters combat on top of that. Thankfully, I didn't need to.

"You _**closed-minded chaotic cretins!**_" yelled Shayla Shayla, as she used a precise blast of flame to light Duke's wooden knife stick ablaze, causing him to drop it in alarmed fear.

"Shayla, _careful!_" shouted Miz Mishtal, as she used her own abilities to put the now lighted knife stick out.

"_**Vacuum Slash!!!**_" exclaimed Afura Mann, using that now _famous_ move to knock aside about ten Black Knights of Zala, but unfortunately striking a few unfortunate bystanders as well.

I suddenly found myself struck hard against the right temple of my head by a fist. Thankfully, I had already used my magnetic powers to crumble the chambers of each of the Black Knights' guns, while having their discharged bullets fall harmlessly to the floor. My own collapse to the floor would be less harmless, however, and much more dazing and disorienting.

The four bugrom in attendance rushed to their Queen's aid, but soon found that they were struggling against _nine_ strong Black Knights of Zala. Prince Randorm managed to subdue two Black Knights by knocking their heads together, but would almost be knocked out himself by having a vase smashed over his head from behind. Most of the dignitaries in the room, however, avoided physical conflict as much as possible. Haruhi never had the luxury of such a choice.

"**Where is he?!**" growled the gruff leader of this Black Knights of Zala gang, as he roughly grabbed a terrified Haruhi by the neck, and pushed her up against the wall, "Where is the _ultimate_ species traitor **Katsuhiko Jinnai?!** _He's_ the only one we want to see **dead** _more than even you!_"

"I-I would **never** tell **you!**" screamed Haruhi back at him defiantly, struggling with both of her hands to pull his hand away from around her neck.

"_Fujisawa__** Tiger Fist!!!**_" shouted Sensei Fujisawa, as he delivered a devastating martial arts blow to the Black Knights leader who had taken hold of Haruhi's neck.

_Blooming bedlam_ was all about this _thoroughly trashed_ Peace Summit. Haruhi landed on the floor upon her backside, as Fujisawa had dispatched with the monster who had taken hold of her neck, and as frenzied skirmishes broke out all over the interior of the central spire of Florestica.

Makoto Mizuhara had rushed to find where Londs and his men might have been. He found many of them unceremoniously stuffed into thick brown paper bags, and thrown into closets. Londs, thankfully, had not been killed, but he had been _badly_ roughed up. Some of his men, however, _had_ been killed.

Haruhi, even while slowly coming to her feet, was starting to emotionally break down. The last few days had seen one trauma after another all mercilessly inflicted upon her, with the exception of Jinnai's _barely_ restrained, heated words against her.

"It's _ruined!_" she screamed out in a sobbing tone, and in great displeasure, "It's _**all ruined!**_"

"_Heeey…_ don't be like that!" stated Sensei Fujisawa, trying to console her, by placing hands gently and supportively on her shoulders, "You've done an A plus _**plus**_ job today! You've passed with _flying colors_, little lady! Don't let some rowdy hooligans that don't treat _exchange students_ nice ruin that for you! When I teach about politics to Makoto and Nanami again, I'm going to reference _you_ as a sterling example of international diplomacy!"

"T-thank you, Sensei Fujisawa…" Haruhi stated, looking up at him with some admiration in her eyes, though stark sadness still upon her face.

"Now _chin up_!" he said to her in an encouraging tone, and while flashing a confident smile towards her, "You're the Bugrom Queen! You have to stay strong because you have a mighty responsibility on your shoulders, and I'm going to lend my shoulders _to you _to help you out in meeting those responsibilities!"

"Mikuru was right!" Haruhi shouted, now smiling, "You're a **great sensei**, Fujisawa!"

This moment of cheerfulness would prove to be but a brief respite however, thanks to Galus…

"What _poetic justice…_" he stated to himself, while overlooking various video links to this scene of carnage from afar, "Of _all_ people, the Black Knights of Gihren Zala have been made my _unwitting_ pawns! Ha ha ha ha!!!

"_**Sire!**_" exclaimed a nervous Nahato, "While that is true, we have to act now! The Black Knights have almost all been dealt with! Our window of opportunity is closing."

"Yes, Nahato, you are correct" responded Galus, "It is time for Yuki Nagato to **make her entrance!**"

What sounded like _a mammoth thunderclap_ reverberated throughout the entire peace summit meeting room. The roof simply _shattered_ into a thousand points of light, _all_ absorbed into a bright white mass of energy coalescing directly above us.

"…_My word…!_" exclaimed Dr. Schtalubaugh, looking up at the sight above him in disbelieving awe.

Demon God Yuki Nagato had made _quite_ the entrance.

Sensei Fujisawa had wanted to run Haruhi Suzumiya to safety, but the floor was so _littered_ with dust, debris, smashed tables_, _ruined furniture, collapsing support beams, and dozens upon dozens of bodies that he couldn't find a signal opening.

"**Miss Suzumiya!**" shouted Sensei Fujisawa, taking a wide but defensive stand, "Get behind me!"

"W-what about _you?!_" she asked, as she crouched down behind him, gently holding on to his waist.

"I'm going to pro… **Aaarrrggggh!!!**" he exclaimed in pain, as Yuki had shot him down with an immensely powerful bolt of bluish white energy.

"_**Sensei Fujisawa!**_" exclaimed Haruhi in horror, as she saw his partially burnt body slowly crumble to the ground, leaving billowing smoke in its wake.

Haruhi, while gritting her teeth, then _ferociously_ looked up at Yuki Nagato.

"_**Yuki!**_" Haruhi screeched at her, "Why the hell are you doing this? I have had _**ENOUGH!**_"

Haruhi then made a most astounding transformation, just as Makoto had raced back into the room to see if he could help. What he saw, standing where the form of Haruhi Suzumiya had just been standing, shocked him terrifically.

"_**I-Ifurita!**_" he shouted.

Haruhi Suzumiya, having done her best to picture in her mind what Ifurita had looked like, and what Ifurita's key staff had looked like, had managed to _uncannily_ capture the look and features of the _real_ Ifurita!

"Now!" shouted Ifurita _Suzumiya_, "Let's see if I get _the powers_ of those that I shape change into! If so, Yuki, then you're in for a _fair fight_!"

Just as Yuki had pointed her key staff down at Haruhi, 'Ifurita' was now pointing her key staff back at Yuki! The unimaginable effects of _the blasts_ of two demon gods colliding with one another may soon be known!

"N-_**NOOO!!!**_" shouted an actually _panicky_ Dr. Schtalubaugh at Haruhi, "I-I don't even have the slightest hypothesis of what that will do!"

Schtalubaugh's words had caused Haruhi to hesitate ever so slightly. She didn't want to see any of her new allies and friends to die because of the collateral damage left in her wake. If that happened, she would be no better than _warlord_ Katsuhiko Jinnai. That hesitation was all the opening Yuki needed.

"_**Time Freeze**_", Yuki stated very calmly yet decisively.

With that, the entire city of Florestica was encapsulated within a bubble of suspended time. Everybody within Florestica except Yuki had been frozen in place; not by ice, but by time itself being held at a stop! Yuki then flew down, and touched her key staff next to Haruhi's.

"_**Data Drain**_", Yuki stated, again very calmly and decisively.

Much as when Yuki Nagato had defeated Ryoko Asakura, causing physical and personal 'data' to blurrily disperse into so much glistening ether_, _the same was now happening to Haruhi Suzumiya's Ifurita guise. That guise was stripped away like a video game altered character mod being returned back, with a click of a button, to its default state. Haruhi was back in her normal Bugrom Queen form, and in her North High student uniform.

Yuki then touched Haruhi's forehead with the top of her index finger, simultaneously freeing Haruhi from the suspended time encapsulation, yet also causing an electrical anesthetic of sorts to render Haruhi unconscious. With a soft sigh, Haruhi gently fell into Yuki's welcoming arms. Yuki, then using her key staff like a welding torch, burned some very telling data into the floor, left behind in her wake. She flew up, out, and _away_, soaring back to Galus' Shadow Tribe headquarters, with a sleeping Haruhi Suzumiya in her arms.

Five minutes later, the time freeze ended.

Dr. Schtalubaugh, Makoto Mizuhara, Princesses Rune Venus and Fatora, any nobles and dignitaries that hadn't been knocked out, the bugrom Chico and Margaret, the Three Priestesses, and me gingerly coming to while rubbing my aching head, all looked around the room, wondering just what had happened.

"_Dr. Schtalubaugh…_" asked an unusually dumbfounded Makoto Mizuhara, "W-what just happened?"

"I don't know, Makoto… I don't know" he answered, in a rare moment of complete confusion.

"_**Wait!**_" shouted Shayla Shayla, "I… sense that… very hot flames were just over there! Just over where I think Haruhi was standing!"

Afura flew over to there to see what Shaya might be talking about. She peered down at the cryptic message that Yuki Nagato had left behind.

"There… there are some large numbers burned and bore out of the floor!" exclaimed Afura.

Dr. Schtalubaugh, Makoto, Shayla Shayla, and I all walked or ran over to where Afura was now standing. Miz Mishtal gathered the unconscious Sensei Fujisawa lovingly into her arms, as she tried to use her watery abilities to heal his burns.

"Those… those are _geographical coordinates!_" exclaimed Dr. Schtalubaugh, "They represent _points_ upon a spherical world map of El Hazard!

"I think that I know what is going on" stated Makoto Mizuhara sternly, revealing his _anger_ against a certain unseen enemy.

"What is it, Makoto?" I asked.

"This is Galus telling us where to find him" answered Makoto, "Haruhi and Yuki are now gone. Haruhi's been abducted! And Galus is telling us just where to find Haruhi, _and_ **him**!"

"_**Very good**_, Makoto!" stated Galus in devilish deviousness, hands ironically in a steeple shape, and while watching on from afar, "I knew that I could count on _you_ to figure it out! Now, try to _come and get me_, Earthlings and Roshtarians! I have prepared the _perfect_ red carpet reception for you; a carpet that will be made red with your blood! _Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!_"

**To be Continued… **


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 – The Torture of Haruhi Suzumiya

Haruhi found herself waking up while her body was in a highly unusual position. Her hands and feet were encased within firm metallic, hollow cylindrical blocks. Her legs were stretched apart about a foot and a half at the knees, and her arms were stretched apart about three feet at the elbows. She was no longer in her North High student uniform. Even her yellow ribbon headband had been removed. Instead, she was now wearing a yellow skintight light metallic bodysuit of sorts, which extended from just above her cleavage all the way to her feet, wrapping around similar skintight light metallic shoes.

As Haruhi came to, she could sense that there was a flat thin rectangular prism of incandescent light rising up and down over her entire body like water rising and falling. There was also a complex array of advanced biometric and electromagnetic machinery all about her, including machinery totally alien to Earth. Under normal circumstances, Haruhi would find all of this gleefully unconventional and rivetingly engrossing. These were _not_ ordinary circumstances, however…

"W-where am I?" asked Haruhi apprehensively, as she slowly moved her eyes around her immediate surroundings, which had clashing contrasts between brilliantly lit areas immediately next to dimly lit areas all about her.

"_Aaahhhh…_" stated Galus, as though about to sit down for a meal that he had been craving for throughout an entire day, "It looks like our most prized treasure has finally awoken. Did you sleep well, my dear?"

"I… I fell asleep?" asked Haruhi in turn, finding it difficult to remember much of anything as her mind had been made jumbled and disjointed due to the lingering residual effects of Yuki having used an electrical anesthetic on her.

"_Yes_" began Galus in a sarcastic tone, before motioning one arm casually towards Yuki Nagato who was currently standing next to him, "Your friend here Yuki Nagato was so kind and gracious that she tucked you infor a dreamy journey from Florestica all the way to this humble Shadow Tribe abode. Have you no gratitude for what Yuki did for you, Haruhi Suzumiya?"

There was something about this man's demeanor, and about his tone of voice, and most importantly about his use of the term "Shadow Tribe", that rubbed Haruhi entirely the wrong way.

"Y-You're _**Galus**_, aren't you?" exclaimed Haruhi angrily in rhetorical question, as she glowered down at him.

"That's _Lord_ Galus to _you_ Bugrom Queen" answered Galus in term, "And you are now the _delectable piece of cheese_ with which I will use to trap a few _repellent Roshtarian rodents _that continue to annoyingly scurry about ripping tears in my finest garments."

"You're _strange…_" stated Haruhi in an insulting tone, finding Galus' way of putting things to be substantially idiosyncratic, "_Normally_, I like that in a person, but with _you_, it just comes across as _**stupid!**_"

Haruhi then licked her tongue out at Galus in a mocking gesture. Galus merely chuckled loudly in response.

"Your pluckiness in even the direst of situations is endearing, I must admit" said Galus, "But it shall also be your undoing. The machine that you're in now is designed to find a way to steadily drain you of your powers, enabling me to use them for my own purposes without having to work through you."

"You're trying to drain me of my shape-changing powers?" asked a perplexed Haruhi in turn, finding it hard to understand why Galus would want such powers, given the abilities of the Shadow Tribe.

"…You can put it that way, if you wish" answered Galus with a particularly mischievous smirk, all the while knowing that it wasn't _shape-_changing powers that Galus was interested in, but rather _world_-changing powers, "In any event, I'll leave you in the safe and secure hands of Fausto and his science team. Let's go, Yuki."

"**You're not going to get away with this, Galus!**" screamed a heated huffy Haruhi at him as loud as she could, while Galus and Yuki walked away from her.

"_Oh?_" asked Galus, raising an eyebrow, and turning his about to face her, "And who, pray tell, is going to stop me?"

"…Y-Yuki will stop you!" replied Haruhi in a cunning attempt to get through to Yuki, and as she turned her eyes from Galus to Yuki, "_Please_, Yuki. We've been friends now for a long time! Don't you remember when we put on that super successful ENOZ performance together? You _**must**_ remember that, Yuki! You _**have**_ to save me! Don't let this _**depraved dork**_ get away with what he is doing!"

Yuki looked back at Haruhi with the slimmest sparkle of sorrow in her eyes. Haruhi made ardent yet imploring eye contact with Yuki, and Yuki held such contact, but could not match the emotional intensity of Haruhi's gaze. It was enough to actually make Yuki breathe a sigh of sadness.

"I have no choice but to obey the master of the key staff." Yuki explained calmly to Haruhi Suzumiya, "…And Galus _is_ that master."

"_Good_ girl" stated Galus, patting Yuki Nagato on the back, "Now let us leave the supposedly indomitable will of the Bugrom Queen to be _crushed._"

Galus and Yuki were now at the exit to the room in which Haruhi was confined to, when Haruhi shouted out the name of a different person that she felt would save her.

"K-_Katsuhiko_ will come for me!" she exclaimed to Galus, "And he's _way_ smarter than _you_, Galus!"

Galus then made his most uproarious laugh of the hour.

"The Katsuhiko Jinnai that you _betrayed_ and _locked up_ in his room?" asked Galus in turn, "No, my dear, your vaunted **SOS Man** will not be your hero _this_ time."

Haruhi started shaking in an enervating mixture of anger and sadness, but as Galus himself noted, her will was not easily dominated.

"T-then my new Florestica friends will come and try to _shut you down_, Galus!" she screamed at him.

"_That _I am _counting_ on" responded Galus, in his most ominous tone yet, and just before addressing his words to the Shadow Tribe science team, "Now Fausto, let's begin to _purge_ Haruhi Suzumiya of her powers, shall we?"

"Yes, my liege!" replied Fausto enthusiastically, "We **will** find a way to take Haruhi Suzumiya's powers and make them our own!"

Several dials were turned and a few buttons were pushed, resulting in a colossal charge of electrical energy beginning to build up, _and…_

"_**AAAaaaarrrrggggghhhh…!**_" screeched Haruhi Suzumiya in uncontrollable pain, as she felt like she was being struck by lightning.

"_Ha ha ha ha ha ha…!_" laughed Galus, as him and Yuki finally took leave of Haruhi.

Galus' ruthlessness, and Makoto's knowledge thereof, is what spurred Haruhi's 'Florestica friends', including myself, into hurried decisive action in the immediate aftermath of Haruhi's capture. It was now in the very late afternoon of the SOS Brigade's ninth day on El Hazard.

We had learned that the Black Knights of Zala had an agent working on the inside, as a member of the Roshtarian royal guard. This man was actually a _triple_ agent, however. He was a Shadow Tribe member and operative who had first managed to deceive his way into the confidence of the Black Knights of Zala. Then upon ingratiating himself to them, and showing himself to be a master of disguises, he was given the task of gaining a foothold within the Roshtarian royal guard. We would have liked to have questioned this spectacular spy before heading after Haruhi and Galus, but this spy had lethally poisoned himself just before we had him in our grasp. _Damn._

In any event, Dr. Schtalubaugh gave us a phantom scope of sorts that he had managed to invent in recent days, and through using a DNA sample that he had taken from Nanami Jinnai. This phantom scope had the ability to locate Shadow Tribe members, signaling their presence in much the same fashion that a basic radar device would. He gave this to Makoto, and instructed him to use it carefully. With Princess Rune Venus wishing us Godspeed – though hopefully not speedy death at the hands of a _demon_ god – a party of a healed Sensei Fujisawa, Afura Mann, Miz Mishtal, Shayla Shayla, Makoto Mizuhara, Nanami Jinnai, Mikuru Asahina, and I set off towards the geographical coordinates that Galus had so graciously gifted us with, but not before locating Koizumi, as we all felt that he could come in handy for this rescue mission.

Koizumi and his new esper team of native El Hazard humans, which all looked up to him as their experienced leader, had managed to already clear out no less than two dozen closed spaces. Intriguingly, the monsters in these closed spaces weren't the gigantic towering white beasts that I had seen before on Earth, but rather they were like _Super Bugrom_ that laughed like _Katsuhiko Jinnai_ laughed. The Bugrom Empire had certainly left its deep seated psychological mark on Haruhi.

Itsuki did not like leaving his new fellow espers so soon, but for Haruhi's case, it didn't take him long to agree to it – certainly less time than it took to convince Alielle and Fatora that it would be best if they stayed behind for this mission. As Itsuki and the rest of us travelled to the rather cold climes of where the latest Shadow Tribe base was, Shayla Shayla used her powers in a surprisingly judicious manner to ensure that all of us could stay warm without having to wear burdensome thick attire.

Finally, in the very late evening of the SOS Brigade's ninth day on El Hazard, and after disembarking from the _Camerock_ and the _Peacemaker, _we arrived precisely at the site of geographical coordinates that Galus had given us. As if on cue, the illusionary mask of invisibility placed all about the Shadow Tribe's latest headquarters was removed.

"_W-__**whoa!**_" exclaimed Mikuru, "T-that came up out of nowhere!"

Indeed it had. With the nine of us – ten if you counted Ura – all now situated on a snowy cliff overlooking a deep chasm, we saw the sight of an empty foreboding canyon of erratic tempestuous winds replaced by an even more foreboding building. This building was only two floors tall, but it stretched out over an impressive area, likely equivalent to that of five professional baseball stadiums. The building also had an extraordinary energy shield around it unlike anything I've ever seen before. Not one part of it was electromagnetic in nature, rendering _my_ powers, at least, _useless_ against it.

"There it is" stated Makoto Mizuhara, in a firm tone, and while holding and using the phantom scope

"How many Shadow Tribe members are in it, Makoto?" asked Nanami.

"The phantom scope can't tell from this distance, Nanami" answered Makoto, "Anyway, while we can now see Galus' facility, I'm not sure if there's a way to get through that ener…"

"**Wait!**" interjected Afura Mann, while pointing a finger enthusiastically towards the portion of Galus' base that was the farthest away from us, "Over there! There's an opening in the energy shield there…"

"…And it's right in front of an open door" I stated for her, as I gazed over in the direction that she was pointing, "_How_ _convenient_."

"_Damn_ that _**grotesque gargoyle Galus!**_" exclaimed Shayla Shayla in anger, "He's simply _mocking us_ with this obvious entrance!"

"Probably so…" stated Makoto, "But I'm not sure if we have any other alternatives."

"Given that I'm made myself dry as Kyon's sense of humor, I could try to punch a path through a _different_ portion of the energy shield!" shouted Sensei Fujisawa, wanting to be helpful here.

"_No_, Sensei Fujisawa, that would be far too risky" stated Koizumi, "We _could_ blow an entrance way through this energy shield and a part of the wall of this repulsive fortress, but it would weaken at least two of us greatly, while seriously hurting at least one. I believe it is best to walk into Galus' trap, and to _deactivate_ it."

"_Bold_ gutsy thinking for _you_, Koizumi" I stated to him, "I could see Haruhi being like that, but you…"

"Galus is getting _overconfident_, I think" replied Koizumi, "His new awareness of Nagato's _time freeze_ ability; the ability that I told you all about before to help explain how she was able to abduct Haruhi the way that she did; has made him sloppy_._ There is a _hole_ in his plan, and we will take _full_ advantage of it."

Koizumi rarely sounded _this_ sure of himself, ever being the cautious philosopher. It was enough to rouse all of us, _especially_ myself, into walking into Galus' painfully obvious trap, with the full intention of making it backfire on him. As such, Afura Mann, through using her powers, flew the ten of us directly in front of the all-too-welcoming entrance. While we were about to make an entrance, Katsuhiko Jinnai was possibly nearing an exit, as four frantic bugrom rushed to inform his prison guard Groucho of what had happened in Florestica.

"Groucho, _**Groucho!**_" shouted Gummo, as he rushed up to his old friend and close bugrom ally, "We have awful, _horrendous___news to report!"

"It's simply **the worst!**" exclaimed Margaret, almost in tears, "_Our Queen…_ they've taken **our Queen**, Groucho!"

"Q-Queen Haruhi?" shouted Groucho in aghast query, "The Alliance is holding her prisoner?"

"No!" exclaimed Zeppo in correction, "Not the Alliance… the Shadow Tribe. Queen Haruhi's been kidnapped by the Shadow Tribe!"

Groucho wanted to break down into tears over this daunting news, but he knew that with Haruhi kidnapped **and** _'the boss'_ in jail, that he was now temporarily "the top bug" of the entire Bugrom Empire. He had to be strong and resolute for the sake of the entire bugrom race!

"Ok." he said "Do we know where she's being held?"

"Yes!" shouted Margaret, "Lord Galus of the Shadow Tribe left coordinates for where he has taken her!"

Suddenly, after being aroused from his nap due to all of this commotion, Katsuhiko Jinnai would shout out from behind his locked bedroom door.

"_What are you all talking about?_" he exclaimed in question, "And what is this about the Shadow Tribe? They're supposed to be _finished_, history, **kaput** aren't they?"

At the unexpected sound of the Supreme Commander's voice, all of the bugrom gathered just outside of his door began to have similar thoughts.

"Groucho…" began Chico in entreating whisper to him, "We _need_ the boss for this! We _really_ do! We need his _brilliance_ in order to save our Queen!"

"I agree…" began Zeppo in his own plea, "Release the boss immediately!"

"_**Will somebody please tell me what you are all gabbing on about?**_" exclaimed Jinnai more hysterically than before.

Groucho made a quick decision. He was not going to disobey Haruhi's instructions to him, even under these trying circumstances. However, Zeppo was right. Hence, Groucho attempted a genuinely impressive _ploy_ on his boss.

"Boss…"began Groucho, addressing Jinnai through the locked door, "…What if I was to tell you that Queen Haruhi… _and _**Makoto Mizuhara**_…_ had _both_ been kidnapped by the Shadow Tribe?

"Haruhi's been kidnapped?" shouted Jinnai in chapfallen question, "Groucho, you _have_ to let me out of here **right now!** We have no time to waste! Rescuing Haruhi from the likes of the Shadow Tribe is going to require vigilant planning! It will be a delicate operation that only _I_ can successfully lead to completion! **This is a job for SOS Man**!"

"…You're not concerned _the least bit_ about _**Makoto**_, boss?" asked Groucho in turn, "You're not worried about the Shadow Tribe stealing your thunder and taking him out before _you_ get a chance to _one up_ him?"

Jinnai was taken aback by Groucho's words here as though shot with a particularly jarring bolt of static electricity.

"W-Well, I… you see… Makoto is awful and all, but…" began Jinnai in stammering reply.

"… but Haruhi takes _precedence_, boss?" asked Groucho in turn, "Is _that_ what you're trying to say?"

Jinnai became _entirely_ silent, as something deep inside of him had made a revelation not only to the bugrom within earshot, but also to Jinnai himself.

"When push comes to shove, boss…" stated Groucho, "It's _Haruhi_ that you care about _more_, isn't it?

Jinnai closed his eyes tightly, but felt something _stirring_ inside of him. Something long buried. Something _crying_ to come out… something that made him long to be _a hero_.

"Well, anyway boss" continued Groucho, "It's really Haruhi _alone_ that's been kidnapped. Still, I can't disobey the Bugrom Queen. I can't let you out _if_ you don't make the promise to me that she wants you to make. But the Bugrom Empire has _never_ needed you more than it needs you now. _Haruhi_ has never needed you more than she needs you now. So… _what are you going to do about it?_"

Jinnai **gritted** his teeth, and began _spitting out_ words that he _loathed_ saying…

"I… I promise_…_" he began, "I promise to _never again_… _**GAH!**_...", as he continued on before deciding that it would be best to simply slur it all out as fast as possible, "_I promise to never again try to kill Makoto Mizuhara!_"

"Or try to _seriously hurt him_, either?" asked Groucho in turn

"_**God damn it**_, Groucho!" exclaimed Jinnai in exasperation, "This is no time to be splitting hairs! _**Let me out of here!**_ We have to save Haruhi!

"…Ok, boss" stated Groucho, deciding that he had to give a little here since Jinnai had given a lot, "I'll let you out!"

"**Yay!**" exclaimed Chico, Gummo, Zeppo, and Margaret all in unison, having been listening anxiously to every word shared between Groucho and their Supreme Commander.

"You did it, boss!" exclaimed Chico, beaming with great pride at Katsuhiko Jinnai, as Jinnai marched out of his bedroom after Groucho unlocked it, "You actually said it!"

"_Don't_ remind me" stated Jinnai, "Anyway, Chico, I want you, Gummo, Zeppo, and Margaret to round up as many bugrom as you can within a hour! And as for you Groucho, fetch me my SOS Man costume."

"Your SOS Man costume, boss?" asked Groucho, a bit surprised to see Jinnai seemingly eager to wear the costume.

"Since Haruhi wants SOS Man…" began Jinnai in sensuously grinning reply, "I'm going to giveher SOS Man! _Ha ha ha ha ha ha…!_"

Unfortunately for Haruhi, however, SOS Man's timing would not coincide with that of Makoto and my rescue team, leaving her would be rescuers divided into two parties, arguably weaker than they would be as a collective force.

Still, on second thought, Makoto working side by side with Jinnai as allies was a… _difficult_ eventuality to imagine… although very little appeared unimaginable given the staggering surroundings all about my allies and I, as we had walked a few meters pass Galus' welcoming mat.

We were all walking down a wide corridor in the shape of a rectangular prism, with the ceiling, floor, and walls being all seamlessly interconnected, and having identical appearance and material. The material that it was made out of was unlike anything I had encountered before. It was firm and solid like metal, yet I could not detect even the slimmest trace of metal within it. In trying to describe it, the best I could do is to say that it looked and felt like solidified mercury fused with reddish synthetic plastics. It carried with it a stainless sheen, but that did nothing to brighten any of us. Rather, we were all unnerved – myself especially given how I could sense that Galus was using some sort of electromagnetic dampening device to lessen the effectiveness of my abilities in particular. Mind you, my powers weren't the only ones he was looking to neutralize…

"_Aaaaggggghhhh…!_" cried Mikuru in pain, as she suddenly found both of her eyes drenched in concentrated narrow streams of acid, emanating from an unseen source.

"_**Mikuru!**_" I shouted, as Koizumi and I quickly rushed to her falling form to comfort her.

"Where did that come from?" exclaimed Miz Mishtal in angry question, "I didn't sense any liquid or moisture anywhere!"

"Blast that Galus!" shouted Makoto, "He somehow shot acid into Mikuru's eyes simply in order to make it harder for Mikuru to use her Mikuru Beams!"

"So what was that again about Galus supposedly being sloppy, _**huh?**_" Shayla Shayla asked angrily of Itsuki, while he laid his healing hands on Mikuru's eyes to try to lessen the pain in them.

"…There are at least two key variables that Galus hasn't factored in." responded Itsuki, "Please believe me here! We can't afford to lose our confidence. I'll make sure that Mikuru feels little pain, though I won't be able to heal her eyes for some time yet."

"Let's not lose our heads here!" exclaimed Nanami, "If we stay cool, calm, and collected, we'll save Haruhi, and get out of here safely with her coming along with us!"

"**Right on!**" shouted Sensei Fujisawa, "Let's keep our wits about us!"

Itsuki took Mikuru up in his arms, while I continued to focus mostly on her tearful eyes that were dripping acid. The three of us now took up the rear of the team, considering Mikuru's wounded nature. Makoto led the procession of the ten of us, while he continued to glance back and forth between the disturbingly empty corridor in front of us, and the phantom scope that he was monitoring the readings of. Nothing was coming up for him yet.

"The acid attack on Mikuru aside" stated Afura Mann, "This is _too_ easy. Where is the resistance? What is that Galus planning?"

"I feel uneasy as well…" added in Miz Mishtal.

"Don't forget that I'm here to protect you, Miz" stated Sensei Fujisawa.

"I know,_ darling._" responded Miz Mishtal in a sweet tone of voice, "But _still…_"

"Wait!" exclaimed Makoto, before turning about to accentuate what the phantom scope had discovered, "I'm finally picking up a reading, and… it's down _that_ way!"

The ten of us had finally come to a stop with the corridor opening out into two adjoining diametrically opposite corridors, one going right, the other left. Makoto was looking towards the left.

"Then down that left corridor must be where Galus is!" exclaimed Shayla Shayla, "Let's _all_ of us go take care of that…"

"No" interjected Koizumi, "Galus is almost certainly down that path, yes, but Yuki Nagato is down the other path. Galus is hoping to have her attack us from behind; catching us off guard with another time freeze before killing us all while all but I am frozen in time. Now I'll explain the _first_ variable that Galus hasn't factored in, although in fairness, it's because he's simply not aware of it. _I'm_ impervious to Yuki's _time freeze _maneuver."

Everybody, including myself, looked at Koizumi with some degree of shock in their eyes.

"Why didn't you tell us that earlier?" asked Nanami of Itsuki.

"Just in case Galus was listening in" explained Koizumi with a proud smile, "To explain, in laymen's terms, why I'm impervious… since I'm sure you all want to know… Yuki's time freeze maneuver creates a _bubble_ in dimensional space-time not unlike the psychic disturbances my fellow El Hazard espers and I have been dealing with."

"And just like you can operate freely within these psychic disturbances…" I stated, wanting to help ensure that Itsuki didn't have to get into the whole messy matter of explain closed spaces to all of our El Hazard friends here, "You can also operate freely within Yuki's closed spaces."

"_Precisely_, Kyon" Itsuki stated, nodding and smiling back at me, "Now what I suggest is this: Anybody who is in bodily contact with me will likewise enjoy imperviousness against Yuki's time freeze maneuver. Now, in order to free Yuki once and for all from Galus' hold on her, I will need the help of two people – you, Kyon, and most definitely Makoto Mizuhara."

"You intend to have the three of us… all holding hands I guess…" responded Makoto, "Walk down the _right_ path, at the end of which we'll find Yuki Nagato, and then I'll use my mastery of machines native to El Hazard free her?"

"Not quite as you think you will." replied Itsuki, "But you're close enough for now. Anyway, the rest of you need to go down the _left_ path after Galus!"

There was more than a bit of befuddlement over Koizumi's words here amongst many of the ten of us. However, even those that were a bit confused by it decided that given the pressing need to rescue Haruhi, and get out of here, as soon as possible, that the best course of action was to leave questions for later and take action now. As such, we soon broke off into two parties. Itsuki walking down the _right_ corridor between Makoto and I, holding hands with each of us. And then Afura Mann, now holding and monitoring Dr. Schtalubaugh's phantom scope in his place, leading the second team down the _left_ corridor.

Afura Mann, Miz Mishtal, Shayla Shayla, Sensei Fujisawa, Mikuru Asahina, and Nanami Jinnai all walked down the left corridor with reinvigorated resolve and drive. Koizumi's confidence was proving to be contagious. However, as I've frequently learned, confidence alone will not always keep you out of trouble.

Suddenly, and without warning, a trap door of sorts, opened up beneath all six of Afura Mann's team! With yells of distress, they plummeted about ten feet downward into an unknown underground room with three feet thick ceiling, flooring, and walls of the toughest metallic alloys on all of El Hazard. The opening that they had fallen through quickly sealed up above them after all six of them had landed into the room. And then… six large nozzles jutting up from the floor began _rapidly_ filling the room with an extremely atypical gas.

"This must be Galus' trap for us!" exclaimed Nanami, with the gas already up to her waist, "We have to hurry up and bust our way out of here before that gas starts to suffocate us!"

Sensei Fujisawa pulled back his fist, and was about to act on Nanami's words, when he found himself overwhelmed by the gas.

"I'll punch… _I'll_… aaaaahhhh…" he stated, as he started to feel very lightheaded.

Galus' gas here was a homogenized mixture of three equally large parts. One part was a mist of pure alcohol. A second part was second hand cigarette smoke. A third part was basic knock out gas. Collectively, they began to weaken Sensei Fujisawa with startling speed. A determined Sensei Fujisawa _did_ manage to get a few powerful punches off against a wall, making a nice one and three quarters of a foot deep dent into it, but it wasn't enough. He collapsed to the ground, unconscious, before he could finish the job.

Shayla Shayla was about to attempt to _burn_ a way out, but not before Afura Mann stopped her, pointing out how lighting a flame inside this room was dangerous given how they didn't know how explosive or flammable this gas was. With the room sealed tightly and shut, there was no available clean air for Afura to call upon in order to disperse Galus' gas. Nanami's abilities were of no use here.

"_*cough, cough*_ I-I know… _*cough, cough*_ that it'll hurt a lot!" cried Mikuru, forcing her wounded eyes open, "B-but__**I'm getting us out!**__Mikuru Beam!"

Mikuru done incredible damage to her right eye with this move, making a most noble sacrifice of self-inflicted torturingpain and ruined vision in one eye, to add slightly more than a foot more of indentation into the same section that Sensei Fujisawa had dented before. It was just short of enough, however, and left Mikuru screeching and writhing in pain.

"**I'm not going to let us die here!**" cried Miz Mishtal, forcing the moist particles within the gas to amalgamate into the iciest and strongest stream of liquid that she could manage.

She then _pitched_ that forward at the wall section that her dear Masamichi, and my dear Asahina, had already struck against. She managed to puncture it all the way through, finishing the job herself!

This had been enough to create a small opening within Galus' little gas chamber of death_, _ensuring that just enough clean breathable air would be available to ensure that Afura's team would survive. However, the hazardous chemicals they had breathed in would later need to be addressed. Also, while they had staved off death, they had all fallen unconscious.

Shortly thereafter, Galus' odd gas was sucked out of the room through the same nozzles that had pumped into it. Then, the same side of the room that had been punctured through slid back like one big giant door, as a supremely smug Galus, arms neatly folded behind his back, walked in.

"Impressive!" he stated, "I was quite confident that this trap would kill the lot of you, should it even come to me needing to use it, of course. By you successfully managing to get even this far, you've earned a privileged opportunity that I will soon make known to you all. In other words, I'm going to _reward_ you by sparing your lives at least a little while longer. Nahato, have these six gathered up and tightly bound into arm locks and leg locks. Then put them in my throne room in wait for me."

"Yes, Lord Galus, right away!" exclaimed Nahato in turn.

"Now…" continued on Galus, "I wonder how Yuki Nagato is doing?"

Yuki Nagato, for her part, had chosen to lay in wait for Itsuki, Makoto, and I, from within her own room within this new Shadow Tribe base. She was still under instruction to use time freeze at the first convenient opportunity, and then to finish all of us deemed "enemies of Galus" off. However, Koizumi's decision to have the ten of us split into two groups had required Yuki to improvise a bit.

Itsuki whispered to Makoto and me the plan that he had for us to free Yuki from Galus' control! I had to admit… the plan sounded promising.

Suddenly, Yuki found the door to her room blown open by a six foot tall perfectly spherical fiery ball of esper energy! She did not want to use time freeze before ascertaining everybody's position, particularly since she was aware of how Koizumi _and those in physical contact with him _were immune to the maneuver. Furthermore, Yuki was not the sort of person to attack wildly at the sight of an explosion. This gave Makoto, Itsuki, and I the opening we needed.

As per the whispered instructions from Itsuki, I used my magnetic powers to simultaneous drag Yuki down towards us while sending Makoto hurling upwards and towards her, while placing an electromagnetic shield around Makoto just before he reached Yuki! Then, with Makoto about to place his hand on Yuki's head, I released the shield, allowing her to make full contact with her head!

"Time_…_" began Yuki Nagato.

"_**NO!**_" shouted Makoto Mizuhara.

I would later learn that Itsuki had guessed right about one particular matter. Yuki Nagato's key staff had been booby trapped by Galus – it was set to automatically electrocute Makoto the moment that his DNA signature came in direct contact with it. However, the neural inhibitors that had been placed within Yuki's head, and which Makoto _was_ able to manipulate through her head, had _no such safeguards!_ With brilliant white spinning lights appearing all about and over Yuki's head, Makoto began to unravel the neutral inhibitors!

Ten percent… _thirty percent…_ _**fifty percent…**_ _**seventy percent…**_ Makoto was _almost_ completed in shutting off Yuki's neural inhibitors! Of course, _almost_ is never good enough…

With a fierce backhand slap, Yuki sent Makoto crashing into the floor beneath him and her. Koizumi and I swiftly rushed after him, ensuring that all three of us were in physical contact with one another before Yuki could use a time freeze.

"So close_…_" Yuki couldn't help but to say to herself in a melancholic tone, "You came so close to enabling me to reach the integrated data entity. I… commend you for that. But…I am still bound by the wishes of the master of the key staff. As such I say to the three of you… _good bye._"

Yuki pointed her key staff down at Itsuki, Makoto, and I. It looked _**very**_ dire for the three of us. Part of me was giving up on the inside. That same part of me focused on _one man_ in order to bring myself some small semblance of comfort given the circumstances. I felt that this _one man_ was Haruhi's _last_ hope.

With a stern spirited stride, and while Groucho followed behind him, that one man walked up to the balcony where the Red Comet hovered in waiting. Bugrom soldiers, standing with earnest devotion, were lined up shoulder to shoulder as far back as the eye could see within the corridors and flights of stairs that _SOS Man_ walked through and over, displaying with his face a fiery fortitude unlike _any_ the bugrom had seen from Jinnai before. Finally coming to the balcony, SOS Man mounted the Red Comet, and looked down over the great conflagration of bugrom that had gathered to take part in this mission of incomparable importance. The bugrom were solemnly silent, given the stark seriousness of this hour, and given their respect for the Supreme Commander that they entrusted with the task of rescuing their very Queen.

"_**My bugrom allies and friends!**_" exclaimed SOS Man beginning his impassioned call to arms, "Today… today we are tasked with _the signal most important mission_ that our **invincible** Bugrom Empire has ever faced. That mission is nothing less than rescuing _my_ _**girlfrie**_… er, _your_ _**Bugrom Queen!**_ It is obviously of paramount imperative that we _**get her back**_!"

Thousands upon thousands of bugrom released a mighty cheer at these words.

"Now…" stated SOS Man, calming his tone slightly, "…As you all no doubt know, Queen Haruhi has…_uggghh…_" shuddered Jinnai before continuing, "… negotiated a tentative peace agreement between the Bugrom Empire and the Alliance…_gaahhh_… which means that this may very well be _the last_ military mission of the Bugrom Empire for a very long time. This could be our last chance to really have some _fun_ knocking around a few enemy skulls! Ha ha ha**HaAhHAHA**_haha_**HA**_**HO**_**HA**!"

Many bugrom laughed ostentatiously over these words, _thrilled_ at the prospect of being lead into glorious military victory once more by their beloved Supreme Commander Katsuhiko Jinnai.

"_**So let's make this one for the history books!**_" exclaimed SOS Man, pumping a fist into the air, "May this be the Bugrom Empire's _**finest hour!**_ To achieve it, remember to carefully follow the tactics I will lay out to you on the way to the enemy base! Each of you will be put in a team, and each team will have its own unique attack formation and plan: alpha beta, gamma beta, or delta. For this most sensitive operation to meet with success, you must follow my instructions _to. The.__** Letter!**_ Now_…_ _**LET'S GO GET OUR QUEEN BACK!**_"

"**SOS Man! SOS Man! SOS Man! SOS Man! **_**SOS Man!**_" chanted the Bugrom loudly, as they prepared to march and soar off towards the Shadow Tribe base.

"Mr. Jinnai!" was heard the gushing voice of Diva, as she had rushed to the balcony to bid Katsuhiko Jinnai farewell, "You have _never_ looked more _marvelous_ than you do right now! ...But _**please**_ do not fail my people!"

"SOS Man never fails" responded SOS Man to Diva, returning her glance with a face of smiling, but steely, resolve.

SOS Man had become a man of steel will. However, to restate what I had said before, it looked like him and his bugrom troops could be Haruhi Suzumiya's last hope…

**To be Continued…!**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 – The Last Hope of Haruhi Suzumiya

The way in which Galus had entrapped and dealt with Itsuki, Makoto, and myself, as well as Afura's team, was paradoxically impressive, yet also embarrassing. There's no question that his methods were highly effective, and carefully plotted out; yet, I couldn't help but also feel that there was a certain cruel silliness behind them. Using pitfalls, death traps, acid attacks, gas attacks… Haruhi had given Katsuhiko Jinnai a SOS Man persona based, in large part, on a rather famous fictional alien immigrant to Earth, but it felt to me like SOS Man's foe wouldn't be akin to a corporate tycoon that utilized the quickest and most discreet methods of inflicting death and defeat… but instead like a gothic _joker_ that delighted in putting his enemies through misery in a myriad of comical ways.

This made for quite the contrast between Galus and his unsmiling unwitting accomplice Yuki Nagato. Using her against the rest of my friends and I seemed to be the high note of his orchestra's symphony of searing sadism. _Complete destruction_ served to you with a smile. _How drool._ Unfortunately for Galus, his former ally didn't quite share his dark and destructive sense of humor…

"_Dragon…__**"**_ began a certain clarion cry that I had not heard for awhile, heralding harrowing heroics, "_**Brrrreeeakkkkeeeerrrrrrr!" **_

A stupendous shower of phenomenal pinkish power rained over Nagato, leaving only her silhouetted form to be visible through this wall of wondrous energy!

The _brilliance_ and immensity of the blast was awesome to behold, but what was most awesome, yet also absurd, was how the rescuer of Itsuki, Makoto, and I at this hour was a _Shadow Tribe assassin_ of all people. _Nanoha Inverse_ had saved us!

"I-it _**worked!**_" exclaimed Makoto, guardedly rising to his feet, "Your attempt to get through to Nanoha Inverse before… it must have worked, Kyon!"

"…Yes_, _it must have!" I shouted in turn, after some hesitation, wholly unaccustomed to highly _fortunate_ happenings like this one.

"We can't afford to revel in our rescue for long, though." stated Itsuki Koizumi, "Miss Inverse is impressively powerful, but I doubt that she's any match for Miss Nagato."

Koizumi was correct here. Nanoha was breathing heavily after pouring forth as much energy into this blast as she could muster up, but Nagato had not been brought down by it. Nanoha's attack had hence proved to be much more of a simple distraction than an outright takedown. Hence, Nagato turned her attentions to Nanoha.

"Your timing was…"-began Nagato, as she _rocketed_ upwards at Nanoha-"…excellent and your attack was…"-with Nanoha just _barely_ being able to dodge Nagato's crescent swipe at her head which left the red bow on Nanoha's outfit sliced into tiny pieces- "…superb as well, but you yourself…"-Nagato than struck her staff with a downwards thrust hard against the nape of Nanoha's neck-"…have no chance of defeating me."

Nanoha screamed in pain as she was sent crashing downwards with _insane_ velocity.

"**Now**, Kyon!" exclaimed Koizumi, "Nanoha has given us a second window of opportunity, but it is closing fast!"

As I sent Makoto hurling once more at Nagato, I could only hope that he would prove to have enough left in him to complete his earlier attempt at liberating Nagato from Galus' hold. Koizumi had only instructed Makoto to try to reach through to whatever had left Nagato under Galus' hold - to sidestep the key staff which Koizumi rightly feared had been booby trapped. Makoto was still largely unfamiliar with Yuki's true nature, but he had sensed the neural inhibitors in her before, and hence would focus on them anew, while it began to dawn on him that Nagato was not a normal human girl.

Gritting his teeth in a show of relentless resolve, Makoto quickly placed an open palm once more on Nagato's head, just as she turned about to face him, mere milliseconds from discharging her key staff at him. This time, Makoto decided that he would drag Yuki Nagato with him into the metaphysical plane of existence that Makoto needed to operate within in order to carry out more complex and difficult manipulations of technology native to El Hazard.

Makoto, once more as what could be called a psychic avatar, now stood adrift in a school room that was alien to him, but which I would have recognized as the SOS Brigade's club room back on Earth. There, sitting on a normal wooden chair just behind him, was a silent Yuki Nagato, a psychic avatar as well you could say, reading a book.

"…_This_ certainly is different and unexpected" stated Makoto, as he turned to face Nagato, "I had thought that _your_ internal schematics and memories would be a bit snazzier than this, Yuki Nagato."

Nagato tilted her head ever so slightly upwards from the book that she was reading; a book titled _"Reintegration and Reinvigoration: What it can do for you!", _and made a curious gaze at Makoto.

"Do not assume that my association with Haruhi Suzumiya means that I am attached to eccentricity and gaudiness" responded Yuki Nagato in a deadpan tone to Makoto, "I merely observe Haruhi Suzumiya, and tabulate pertinent data that I am able to gather from such observations."

"I… see" replied Makoto with a nervous grin, as Nagato's words weren't making much sense to him, "_Anyway_, Yuki…"

"You are here to release me from Galus' hold" stated Yuki, finishing Makoto's sentence for him, "To do that, we will need to break apart the network boundaries that have been erected around my internal operations. These network boundaries are, within _this_ sphere of existence, represented by a thirty foot tall wall of screaming Shadow Tribe heads located just outside of this empty representation of North High."

Makoto was able to pick a bit more sense out of _these_ words, but they would prove to petrify him even more because of that.

"_A wall of screaming Shadow Tribe heads…_" he said uneasily to himself in whisper, feeling some trepidation over the thought of encountering horrors not unlike what he had witnessed when he had last struggled with Nanoha for control of her Raging Heart sniper rifle.

"Do not worry" stated Nagatp, as she rose from her seat, her book held in one hand, while another hand gently took hold of one of Makoto's coat sleeves, "Your role is simply that of a tool. Therefore, you should dispense with any emotional concerns. Such concerns may be left for later. Now _**follow me.**_"

Nagato's final two words here were spoken with a tone of urgency that was unusual for her. Makoto quickly picked up on how that urgency contrasted with Nagato's typical monotone. Hence, he did as she instructed him to, sensing that there was no time to waste.

Back in what I suppose one could cavalierly call _'the real world'_ – although the limits of reality was something I had grown increasingly uncertain of since I had first met my fellow SOS Brigade members – I had rushed over to the fallen Nanoha while Koizumi took it upon himself to closely monitor the physical forms of Makoto and Nagato, which were mysteriously locked in place.

"**Nanoha!**" I shouted to her, as I knelt down on one knee beside her, as she slowly slid up from a lying position to a sitting one, wincing in pain, "Are you Ok?"

"That may have been… _the hardest hit_… that I've ever taken" Nanoha responded breathlessly as her chest felt tight to her, "But, yeah, I should be Ok. Thankfully, I landed on my shoulder, and not on my head."

"Is it the same shoulder that Sensei Fujisawa kicked before?" I asked.

"…Yeah", answered Nanoha in a soft tone, betraying the shuddering pain that was now in that shoulder, "But forget about me! Saving you and your friends is the important thing, Kyon!"

I made a slight smile towards Nanoha over these words, as I was sincerely touched by Nanoha's concern for Koizumi, Makoto, and I. Yet, there were some questions that were burning through my skull; questions that I just had to ask Nanoha.

"Nanoha…" I began in softly spoken question, "Why did you do it? I mean… don't get me wrong. I'm actually _ecstatic_ that you've had a change of heart like this! But, I can't help but wonder… _why?_"

"Well…" began Nanoha in carefully delineated answer, "What you said to me back in the Coruscate Caverns really struck a chord with me, Kyon. So, like I said to you back there, I took some added time to think things over. I also carefully observed some important events from the shadows, out of Lord Galus' and Master Nahato's prying eyes, but also without you or any of your friends being aware of it. What I saw… disgusted me."

"What did you see, exactly, that disgusted you?" I asked of her.

"Lord Galus once had the admirable goal of worldwide peace between all of the diverse species and peoples of El Hazard" Nanoha responded, "Your… _friend_, I take it… the new Bugrom Queen Haruhi Suzumiya… she went to _incredible_ lengths to try to reach similar goals, through trying to establish a formal peace agreement between the Alliance of human nations and her Bugrom Empire. Many of the Alliance dignitaries were _receptive_ to that, which _shocked_ me. So, if the humans and bugrom of El Hazard can put aside their ancient hostilities and their petty prejudices against one another…"

"Then the Shadow Tribe should be able to take part in such peace as well" I stated with a smile, finishing Nanoha's sentence for her, "These past few days… they've been a real _eye-opener_ for you, haven't they, Nanoha?"

"Yes, they have." she answered, in a slightly melancholic tone, "Lord Galus' choice to use the **barbarous** _Black Knights of Zala_ to disrupt such peace… his choice to abduct the Bugrom Queen who had championed such peace like no other… his choice to be callous and cruel to those who have done _nothing whatsoever_ to deserve such treatment… I… I just _couldn't_ turn a blind eye to all of that, Kyon. I decided that I would intervene at a time that would be the most helpful to you in your attempts to rescue your friend."

She gazed up at me with a look of supremely caring eyes, but with a frowning face of starkly disappointed disillusionment. A deep desire to comfort Nanoha rose up out of me like an everlasting spring of water. As such, I wrapped my arms around her, as she nestled her head next to my chin.

"I… I'm _proud_ of you, Nanoha" I said to her, "The choice that you made must have been the hardest choice of your life. I can only hope…", I continued, as I gently lifted her off the ground along with me, before gazing back up at Nagato and Makoto above, "… that it won't prove to be in vain."

Such hopes had escaped the notice of Galus, however, as he was currently about to make a startling offer to the shackled Afura Mann, Miz Mishtal, Shayla Shayla, Nanami Jinnai, Mikuru Asahina, and Sensei Fujisawa. Looking back on it now, I couldn't help but wonder if Nanoha would have made the same choice that she ended up making if she had been aware of the full extent of Galus' plans.

Afura Mann and Shayla Shayla were the first two to slowly awaken from the effects of Galus' knock out gas, as they and Nanami had been the three to exert themselves the least in trying to break free of Galus' trap. As Afura forced overlapping psychedelic imagery to focus into steady vision, she soon began to come to grips with her current predicament, as well as her new surroundings.

Her legs were tied together with fire retardant ropes, while her hands were bound behind her back in firm metallic, hollow cylindrical shackles. These shackles were attached to a thick cable of sorts which in turn was attacked to a large dark blue granite throne. Similar, if not identical, ensnarements had been placed on every other member of her team; perhaps the only significant difference being how Asahina had a large robust closed visor of sorts situated around her eyes.

As she looked about the room that she was in, she could tell that it was a large, yet noticeably empty, throne room. There were no paintings on the wall, or garish interior décor; just Galus sitting in his simple throne, with two slightly shorter but decidedly muscular Shadow Tribe guards standing at attention at either side of that throne. These Shadow Tribe guards wore a military uniform strikingly similar to those of the Roshtarian guards, although they did have a helmet that extended over the entire back of their neck, as well as over the bridge of their nose, causing their eyes to be slightly secluded. The two guards were also armed with a multifaceted two-handed gun of sorts; a poor man's version of Nanoha's Raging Heart.

"It is good to see that you have finally joined me back in the realm of the _conscious_, my dear Afura Mann" stated Galus to her, "I hope that it'll mean that you'll make the correct _conscientious_ _choice_ concerning the offer I will soon make to you."

"_Galus…_" she sneered slightly, while glaring up at him and taking no notice of whatever this offer of his might entail, "If you think that these binds can hold us, then you're _sadly…_"

"I _think_ no such thing, esteemed Priestess of Mount Muldoon" interjected Galus, "I _know_ that they can hold you, particularly since they are designed to prevent you and your fellow Priestesses from activating your powers."

"**We'll see about that, Galus!**" exclaimed Shayla Shayla, "I'm going to _bust_ right out of this trap and then I'm going to _bust_ open that oversized head of yours! I just hope that it doesn't _leak_ so badly that your _ego_ drowns the works of us!"

Shayla Shayla squirmed and struggled about, frantically and ferociously trying to free herself while grunting… but predictably to no avail. Galus chuckled at the sight.

"Shayla…" stated Miz Mishtal weakly, as she had been awoken by the sound of Shayla's struggling, "I…I don't think that what you're doing is going to work."

"Miz is right." added in Sensei Fujisawa, coming too at the same time as his fiance had, "And with my super strength still recovering from that intoxicating knock out gas…"

"It would be best if you all _listened_ to me" interjected Galus, as he proudly rose from his throne, walked a few steps forward to get a better look at his captives, and with his hands neatly folded behind his back.

Asahina and Nanami had now both finally returned to consciousness as well.

"**W-w-where am I?**" cried Mikuru in frenzied fright, "I can't see anything! I-It's all **black!**"

"Galus!" roared Nanami at him, after catching sight of Mikuru, "How could you do this to poor Mikuru? You're going to have her bawling in horror by leaving her virtually blind like that!"

"I fear that the precaution of 'virtually blinding' Mikuru, as you put it, is needed to ensure that her Mikuru Beams don't cause me any additional problems." answered Galus, "Now, I would suggest that you all calm yourselves, and finally listen to me… or I'll have my men gun you down **right here and now**!"

The sound of Galus' two stoic guards rapidly moving their arms to point their guns at two of the six prisoners of Galus; Nanami and Shayla Shayla being those two; was enough to restrain Mikuru's bawling to a slight sobbing, while leaving Nanami and Shayla quaking slightly in anger, and the rest in tense but alert and silent attention.

"..._Marvelous_" stated Galus, after a brief pause, "Your collective choice to listen to reason is encouraging. It gives me yet one more reason to make a special limited offer to you that I believe you have earned with your valiant effort to reach me."

"What, exactly, is that offer, Galus?" asked Afura Mann in a stern but sincerely inquisitive tone.

"Before I get to that…" began Galus in answer, "I will need to make you all aware of an important fact that has escaped the notice of _all_ of you…well, all of you except _Mikuru Asahina_ perhaps"

Asahina's spine began _tingling_ over these words, as she had a dreadful suspicion of what Galus meant by them.

"Mikuru?" Nanami whispered in question to her, "What is Galus talking about? What do you think that _he_ thinks you might now?"

"I-I-I'm a-a-afraid that I can't t-t-tell you that, Nanami…" answered Asahina, more nervous now than ever before.

"Then I suppose that _I_ will need to reveal this ultimate truth to the rest of your supposed _new_ _friends_, Mikuru Asahina" stated Galus in a sarcastic tone, "Let me get straight to the point. The new Bugrom Queen, Haruhi Suzumiya, holds within her practically _limitless_ creative and destructive power."

"_**What?**_" exclaimed Shayla Shayla in rhetorical stupefied question.

"I enunciated my previous statement quite clearly and succinctly, fire Priestess" stated Lord Galus, "There is no need to repeat myself. How do you suppose the Bugrom Empire was restored to its former ranks and numerical glory? You Priestesses _were_ trying to figure that out, _weren't_ you? What conclusion did _you_ come to?"

These last three questions posed by Galus hung in the air and minds of Sensei Fujisawa, Nanami Jinnai, and the Three Priestesses. Haruhi Suzumiya holding practically limitless creative and destructive powers _could_ serve to explain where all of the 'new' bugrom had come from. Beyond that, Sensei Fujisawa, Nanami, and the Priestesses were hardly unaccustomed to the weirdest and wondrous of sights and imaginings. An almost omnipotent girl of Earth was a bit beyond the pale _even for them_… but it was easier for them to accept than, say, it was for _me_ when the notion was first suggested to me.

"Mikuru!" exclaimed Nanami in loud whisper to her "Is what Galus saying actually true?"

"W-w-well…" began Mikuru in unsteady answer, not sure if continued deception was even possible given the circumstances.

"What I am saying is _absolutely_ true" stated Galus, having heard Nanami's whispered question.

"Let's suppose, for argument's sake, that it _is_ true" chimed in Afura Mann, deciding that in spite of her skepticism here, it would be providential for her and her allies to amuse Galus whimsicalness for the moment, "Even if that is the case… even if that helps to explain how the Bugrom Empire was restored… then how does it concern any of us, or even you for that matter?"

"I'm relieved to see that at least you, Wind Priestess, have kept a level and attentive head here" responded Galus, "To answer your question… with the aid of my Shadow Tribe scientists I will soon be able to procure Haruhi Suzumiya's power for my own personal _direct_ use. I will become _**God**_, for all intents and purposes. With _divinity itself_ bestowed upon me, I will not merely obliterate El Hazard, but rather I will **recreate it!" **

Sensei Fujisawa, and the Three Priestesses, looked at each other uneasily; unsure of which possibility was worse: that Galus had gone completely bonkers and was thus liable to try anything… or that he was actually telling the truth here. The second possibility was certainly the more daunting one for the planet of El Hazard as a whole.

"In my recreation of El Hazard…" continued Galus, "I will repopulate the planet with Shadow Tribe members, and Shadow Tribe members **alone**. It will be an unparalleled _paradise_ – a _new beginning_ – for **my people!** The bugrom and humans of this planet will _**cease to be!**_"

"Then where's this _grand offer_, Galus?" snarled a sarcastic Miz Mishtal in question, tears starting to well up in this eyes, "All six of us are _humans_, in case you never noticed!"

"With ultimate power in my hands…" stated Galus with a grin, after calming his tone, "There is _nothing_ to stop me from _changing _your genetic makeup so that all six of you become Shadow Tribe members. I will leave you with your powers, but strip you of your memory. Hence, your no doubt _conflicted consciences_ won't need to be _burdened_ with the memory of you turning your back on your fellow humans this day. For all you will know in my _magnificent_ **new** El Hazard, you will have always been Shadow Tribe members. Indeed, you have the enviable opportunity to be my very **vanguard!**"

"We would _never_ agree to such an outrageous _odious_ offer!" exclaimed Nanami Jinnai defiantly.

"Nanami is absolutely right!" shouted Sensei Fujisawa in turn, "I would never turn my back on the lives of millions of innocent people in such an abhorrent fashion. What you are getting on with is complete and utter _madness_, Galus. It reflects a neurosis unlike any I've ever taught about! Get some _counseling_, _**will you?**_"

"_Counseling?_" asked an incredulous Shayla Shayla, "No, Sensei Fujisawa, what _this_ _**massacring maniac**_ needs isn't counseling, but rather a good cleaning of his _**broken clock!**_"

"I strongly suspect, Galus, that you will find that _all_ of us share these sentiments" stated Afura, "However, I am curious… why do you even make such an offer to us? Why would you spare only us of all the humans here on El Hazard?"

"I was admittedly impressed by the power and resiliency that you all showed in miraculously surviving the gaseous death trap that I had set for you" answered Galus, "Hence, I felt that you might make fitting replacements for former failures, like _Kiriya_ and _Nanoha_. I would suggest, Afura Mann, that you and your allies here take a bit more time thinking over my offer. Rejecting it, after all, will mean your summary _execution_."

Miz Mishtal was about to make a poignant protestation to Galus concerning his attempt at coercion here, but she was stopped from doing so by Yuki Nagato making a surprising appearance. Nagato fazed into the scene out of a state of invisibility, holding a bound and gagged Koizumi, Makoto, and I in her free hand. She then unceremoniously _plumped_ us down at Galus' feet, causing even him to be somewhat taken aback.

"_Ma-Makoto!_" screamed Nanami.

"And Itsuki and Kyon!" added in Afura Mann with a shout.

"**Damn it!**" screeched Shayla Shayla, "They must have been caught too!"

"Indeed." stated Galus to Nagato, after taking a moment to compose himself "I see that they failed in their attempts to free you from the hold of the key staff."

Nagato made no comment to that, which troubled Galus slightly.

"Judging by their sounds of _struggle_…" continued Galus, "They are _clearly_ still alive. Why did you not _kill_ them, Yuki?"

"I noticed that you had chosen to leave Afura Mann's team alive" began Nagato in answer, "As such, I surmised that you may want Itsuki Koizumi's team to remain alive as well."

"_Hhhmmm…_" mused Galus, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, with a noticeably cybernetic right hand, "I _suppose_ there's some logic in that. Makoto, a magnetic Kyon, and a stately diplomat like Itsuki Koizumi may make good members for my future vanguard as well. As such…"

Galus was about to reiterate his offer, only this time including Makoto, Koizumi, and I amongst those who he'd make the offer to. However, he would be rudely, and I must say, _amusingly_, interrupted from doing so due to the sounds of a power outage causing all of his interior lighting and electronic mechanisms to give way, albeit only before the briefest of moments for his bases' backup power supply to kick in.

"Lord Galus! _**Lord Galus!**_" exclaimed Nahato, as he rushed into the throne room, having monitored the wider security of the Shadow Tribe base from a special control room, "We are under siege, my liege!"

"_**Under siege?**_" asked an atypically astonished Galus in reply, completely caught off guard.

"Yes!" confirmed Nahato, "It is _the bugrom_, sire! Our base has been thoroughly overtaken by hundreds… if not _thousands_… of **bugrom!**"

"That is _impossible_!" exclaimed Galus in sheer disbelief, "The Bugrom are without their Queen! Their Supreme Commander has been jailed! They should be _rudderless_ and hopelessly adrift!"

"But they are _not_, Galus." stated Fausto, desiring to be the voice of calm rationality, as he entered into this scene, "I just spoke with our chief of internal security. He has reported to me that the Bugrom have already seized control of roughly thirty percent of our fortress. They successfully located our main power supply, and demolished it. They are using military tactics more efficient and sophisticated than any I have ever seen. They are actually overwhelming our heavily armed and armored soldiers in spite of their lack of weaponry. They have set up three choke points within our facility, and are steadily maneuvering them deeper and deeper in. Even I, as a peaceful scientist, cannot help but to be impressed by it!"

"B-But our _energy shield_!" exclaimed Galus, continuing to be in a state of shock, "How could they have possibly breeched it! Even a super bugrom shouldn't be able to plow through that!"

"No, but _three_ super bugrom apparently can" stated Fausto, "According to reports, sire, _two_ super bugrom picked up _a third_ and _threw_ it against our energy shield. Yes, the thrown super bugrom made quite the sacrifice there, as the impact soon caused it to dissipate into its component individual bugrom parts, each wailing in pain. However, the velocity of the impact, combined with the thrown super bugrom throwing a punch of its own upon contact, proved to be enough to essentially short circuit our energy shield."

"What kind of _insane genius_ would dare think of such a move, let alone _**try it**_?" asked Galus, as beads of sweat now began to form upon his brow.

"…_Katsuhiko Jinnai…_" sneered Nahato, perceptively.

"Ha ha ha _**ha!**_" laughed Nanami, overhearing this, "You're in for it _**now**_, Galus! Katsuhiko is coming for the one human that he actually cares about! He's coming for the only person that he considers a friend! He's coming for _Haruhi Suzumiya_, and he's going to make you regret the day you laid a hand upon her!"

"Yuki Nagato…" began Galus, turning to face her, and intending to order her to _kill_ every last bugrom.

"_No_ sire…" interjected Fausto, speaking up out of concern for his _own_ well-being, "Yuki Nagato cannot save us here! The bugrom are too plentiful… too numerous! If she attempts to destroy them all, the collateral damage could… could **kill us all!**"

Galus took a deep breath. Then, it was as if the dire news of the bugrom laying waste to his Shadow Tribe fortress had not been told to Galus at all. A look of _supreme confidence_ washed over his face anew.

"Well, I'm afraid I will need to pull my offer to all of you off the table" Galus stated, while turning to face us, "It appears as though Katsuhiko Jinnai has forced me to use my _final_ back up plan. Fausto, I trust that our getaway chopper is ready on the rooftop?"

"Yes sire, I've already started it up by remote control." answered Fausto, "Furthermore, two of my associates have already removed Haruhi Suzumiya from where we were operating on her. We have medicated her to ensure that she remains _docile_, at least until we reach the chopper."

"Excellent" stated Galus, "Now then, there is but one last matter to attend to."

Galus then stared at us with the most haunting and malicious of grins.

"Nahato, activate the timer for our _Hydrogen Bomb_, will you?" asked Galus.

"_**Hy-Hydrogen Bomb?**_" exclaimed a questioning Sensei Fujisawa in utter horror, "You can't be serious, Galus!"

"I'm _dead_ serious, Sensei Fujisawa" replied Galus with a grin, before shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly, "If Katsuhiko Jinnai wants to join the rest of you in being _atomized_ this day, then who am I to impede him in his typically _suicidal_ quest?"

"Thank you for revealing your _final_ trap, Galus" stated Yuki Nagato, as she waved her key staff frantically about, causing all of the binds and gags about all of us in the room to disperse into so much _disintegrated data_, "My suspicion of such a final trap, but unawareness of its exact nature, is why I decided to deceive you into believing that I was still under your control. However, with Makoto, Kyon, and Itsuki's help, I have regained connectivity with the integrated data entity!"

With that, the freed Afura Mann, Miz Mishtal, Shayla Shayla, Mikuru Asahina, Nanami Jinnai, Sensei Fujisawa, Itsuki Koizumi, Makoto Mizuhara, Ura, and myself all came to our feet. Shayla Shayla was pounding one fist into an open palm, as a hungry smile for revenge washed across her face. Galus' two guards actually raced wildly away in a cold sweat and shout.

"Deactivate the Hydrogen bomb, Galus!" exclaimed Makoto Mizuhara, authoritatively at Galus.

"Yeah!" chimed in Shayla Shayla, "Or I'll burn you _crispier_ than any atomization could ever do, Galus!"

"Thank of _the fall out! _Think of the radiation poisoning and pollution!" cried Sensei Fujisawa at Galus, "Show at least a _modicum_ of sense, man! _**It's not worth it!**_"

"You heard them, Galus" stated Yuki Nagato, pointing her key staff at Galus, Nahato, and Fausto, "But most importantly, now you hear _me_. Deactivate the hydrogen bomb, or I will have your _personal_ data disintegrated."

Nahato was sweating bullets. Fausto was gulping hard. Galus… Galus had a mischievous grin on his face.

"… Very well" said Galus, as he pulled back the sleeves on his arm, and began pressing buttons embedded into a cybernetic portion of his body.

"Good" stated Yuki, "Now… _**AAaaaaaaagggghhhhh!**_"

Yuki lit up like the angel on top of a Christmas tree, but this was no _silent night_ for her, _or_ the rest of us. _Millions_ of volts of a different type of electricity _surged_ through her entire body, and quickly jumped out of her in ten separate bolts at Sensei Fujisawa, Makoto, Nanami, Koizumi, Asahina, Ura, the Three Priestesses, and me. All eleven of us, counting Nagato, were struck with enough of a unique concussive electrical charge to _instantaneously_ down us all. Only I, with my magnetic powers, was able to raise an electromagnetic shield just fast enough to protect myself, but unfortunately not quickly enough to help any of my friends.

"_**Nahato!**_" shouted Galus, "Take out Kyon!"

Nahato leapt at me, and cut a sharp glassy knife directly into my midsection, causing me to yell in severe pain. He then punched me hard against the head, knocking me out.

"Should I kill them all, Lord Galus?" asked Nahato, _eager_ to do so.

"No" stated Galus, "We don't have time! The hydrogen bomb will take care of all of our enemies this day. I would imagine that the bugrom are only a minute or two away from us by now. We must rush to the rooftop with Haruhi Suzumiya in tow. **Immediately!**"

Galus did that, leading the racing charge of him, followed behind by Nahato and Fausto, who in turn were followed behind by two Shadow Tribe scientists hoisting a dazed and dejected Haruhi Suzumiya along with them. Haruhi was almost out of it completely right now. The torture that she had endured at the Shadow Tribe's machines in attempts to steal her powers away from her; the medication that had dulled her senses and made it impossible for her to use her

shape-changing abilities; these had indeed made her both docile and depressed.

While carefully activating various energy walls at key corridor points during the sprint to the rooftop; activating them to halt pursuing bugrom that were now hot on Galus' tail; Galus eventually reached the stairs to the rooftop. He ascended them as swiftly as he could, followed behind by the equally quick Nahato and Fausto, but the slightly slower holders of Haruhi.

However, the rooftop appeared clear of any bugrom. There was an assortment of large crates, as well as some gaseous waste disposal stacks, on the rooftop. The rooftop itself was in pristine spotless condition, as it was rarely used. Galus and his accompaniment moved quickly towards the getaway chopper.

Haruhi started to cry.

She had picked out enough from Nahato and Fausto's words to know that this was it. She was _done for_ if Galus made off with her once more. Haruhi had never felt a greater sense of hopelessness than before. Recent traumas ruthlessly piled up on top of each other within her mind like bills piling up at Christmas.

_But then…_

Haruhi heard something. Her bugrom antennae made her hearing sense superior to that of a normal human, or of a Shadow Tribe member. Hence, she could hear something… or someone… falling from above.

She looked up in the sky.

Was it a bird?

Was it a plane?

No_…_

"_**SOS MAN!**_" cried Haruhi Suzumiya, as tears of relief _streamed_ forth from her now _sparkling_ eyes.

SOS Man, riding on top of Groucho, came _crashing_ down from above in much the same way they did when they had helped in defeating Galus before. Galus, Nahato, and Fausto went flying in one direction. Haruhi and her two holders went flying in the other directions, causing Haruhi to be dropped from their hold.

"We're **here** for you, my Queen!" shouted Groucho triumphantly, as he rushed over to knock out the two Shadow Tribe scientists who had been holding her captive.

"Groucho! **Katsuhiko!**" cried Haruhi, rushing at Jinnai from behind, and proceeding to wrap her arms tightly around his waist after reaching him.

"_Jinnai!_" snarled Galus in supreme contempt, throttling a fist while doing so, "**You bastard!**"

"Ha ha ha ha**HaAhHAHA**_haha_**HA**_**HO**_**HA**~Ha ha ha ha ha _**HAA**_ _Ha ha ha ha ha…!"_ laughed SOS Man, arms neatly folded on his chest and before making a saucy grin towards Galus, as Haruhi peered over SOS Man's shoulder while beaming with pride, "Fancy meeting you like this _again_, **Galus!** _Oh_, and I've prepared a couple little surprises for you. First of all, take a close look at your helicopter's rotor"

"T-the rotor!" shouted Nahato, "H-he's had it twisted to shreds!"

"_And_ the engine's been removed" added in Jinnai with a smirk, "Not a _bad_ engine. I'm sure it'll look nice in the new _bugmobile_ that I'm going to have made to _commemorate_ my most _perfect and flawless_ rescue of the beautiful Bugrom Queen!"

"_Ha ha ha ha!_" laughed Haruhi, at the idea of a bugmobile, as well as the amusement of this entire scene in general, "You were _wrong_, Galus! Wrong, _wrong_, _**WRONG!**_ Katsuhiko _did_ come for me! So _**there!**_"

Haruhi licked her tongue out at Galus once more while leaning over Jinnai's shoulders as she stood on her tippy toes, and placed two hands upon one of Jinnai's shoulders to support herself.

"You won't get away with this effrontery, **you silly earthlings!**" screamed Nahato.

"_Oh?_" asked SOS Man in rhetorical reply, raising an eyebrow, "But I already have! _Goodbye_, Nahato. I _sincerely_ hope that you and Galus have a fall that's no worse than the one Groucho and I just enjoyed for ourselves!"

"W-w-what's going on?" asked Fausto, as the portion of the rooftop directly beneath him, Nahato, and Galus, was beginning to give way.

"_Hasta la vista_, Galus!" shouted Haruhi.

"_Ggggaaaaaaahhhhhh!_" exclaimed Galus, Nahato, and Fausto, as they began to plummet into a cloud of dust and debris, as about a quarter of the rooftop had become plummeting beneath their very feet.

SOS Man began chuckling anew.

"_**Brilliant**_, Katsuhiko… _simply brilliant!_" exclaimed a highly animated Haruhi, as she finally released Jinnai from her embrace, and ran in front of him to address him face to face, "_Bugrom Resource Manual_ Chapter 3, Page 40, Paragraph 3 – the _pincher_ bugrom type can gnaw through almost any material known to man! And that's _exactly_ what you had them do to the support beams and walling for that particular portion of the rooftop, isn't it?"

"_**Precisely**_, Haruhi!" shouted a boastful and appreciatory SOS Man, "I'm enthused to see that you're such a quick study! I trust, then, that you _approve_ of _Operation: Excite and Enliven_? A _fitting name_ for this rescue mission that has left the Shadow Tribe very _enlivened_ indeed! A name also inspired by _you_, of course!"

"He he he he…!" laughed Haruhi, pumping a fist into the air, "I totally approve _**to the nth degree!**_"

"**You won't be approving for much longer then!**" came a thundering shout from behind Haruhi and SOS Man.

"_Huh?_" asked SOS Man, as both a perplexed he, and a puzzled Haruhi, turned about to see where this shout could be coming from.

With Groucho rushing up next to his right side, SOS Man now had both Haruhi and Groucho on either side of him. All three of them looked up in _amazement_ at the sight before them.

"_**W-What has happened to Galus?**_" bellowed Jinnai in questioning shock.

Galus' 'feet', if you could call them that, were now actually _rocket jet boots_ that doubled as a more basic means of mobility. Galus himself, unbeknown to Jinnai, was now a _cyborg._ As a cyborg, Galus' strength, and personal abilities and power, was far beyond what he had when Jinnai had faced him before.

"I am now a partly cybernetic being, Jinnai" stated Galus, with his rocket jet boots fully engaged and howling with fire and gas emanating outwards, "A factor, hence, that you failed to take into account in your attempt to rescue Haruhi Suzumiya, and lay siege to my fortress! Now let me show you what the _new_ me can do!"

Galus quickly motioned his right arm, forward. A small computer disc sized compartment opened up on top of his right wrist, causing a strange fluid of sorts to shoot outward!

One shot… _Haruhi_ was brought down by it!

Second shot… _Groucho_ was brought down by it!

Jinnai could only look in despondency at his two best friends being brought down like this.

Both had been forced into a semi-sitting position, covered in a special synthetic fluid of sorts that mimicked the properties of spider silk and spider webs.

"The Bugrom Queen _and_ your top bugrom soldier." began a bragging Galus, as he caused himself to land directly twenty feet away from SOS Man, who was now in a tight defensive stance, "Both caught within my _spider webs_. Now _that's_ what _I_ call **fitting**, Jinnai! Ha ha ha ha!"

SOS Man sneered in anger at Galus, and gritted his teeth. SOS Man was, however, also sweating profusely under his helmet. He was _not_ prepared for this!

Meanwhile, Haruhi could only protest uselessly over how cheap, gross, and disgusting the spider webs that encumbered her were. Groucho was _torn_ between telling SOS Man to _run away to save himself_… or to _stand and fight_ for the sake of his Queen.

"Now, _**SOS Man…**_" stated Galus in a smug tone, "It's just _you_ and _me_. Do you intend to retreat with your _cape_ tucked between your legs… _or_ are you going to put on a dashing show of _hopeless_ heroics for your _precious_ Bugrom Queen? Choose quickly, Jinnai, or I'll _personally_ kill Haruhi myself!"

SOS Man, _one-on-one_, against Cyborg Galus, with Haruhi Suzumiya's life hanging in the balance. _This_ is what it had all come down to. **This** was Haruhi Suzumiya's _last_ hope.

**TO BE CONCLUDED!**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 – The Dark Queen of El Hazard

_8:00 until detonation_

A knight in shining armor goes to rescue a damsel in distress by attempting to slay the dastardly dreadful dragon. Perhaps the oldestof clichés and fables, and yet the rooftop of the primary Shadow Tribe headquarters was now the setting for such a staggeringly surreal scene. What added to the surreal nature of the scene, yet ironically also made it far more unique than most variations of this old cliché, was how you could hardly pick three more unlikely candidates for these timeless roles.

Our knight in shining armor; or in a shining _helmet_, in any event; was former warlord _**Katsuhiko Jinnai**_, who up until recently had played _the villain_, by his own words.

Our damsel in distress was far from the picture of placid peaceful politeness that the phrase 'damsel in distress' would tend to make one envision, and yet _**Haruhi Suzumiya**_ was now indeed in distress, and seemingly as helpless as any damsel could be.

And then there is our dastardly dreadful dragon _**Galus**_, Lord of the Shadow Tribe. Of the three, he perhaps fitted his role the best.

While SOS Man was not prepared to face a cyborg, he nonetheless had fashioned for himself a multipurpose utility belt, and hence was not _completely_ left without any effective tricks up his sleeve… or, rather, within his belt.

"_Hopeless_ heroics, Galus?" asked SOS Man rhetorically, while forcing a grin in order to convey a sense of assurance and confidence to both his enemy and to his friends, "_No_, Galus, _nor_ will I need to be particularly _dashing_, either!"

SOS Man pulled a few spherical bombs out of his belt, and hurled them at Galus.

"_**Ha!**_" laughed Galus derisively, "More of your _SOS smoke bombs_, Jinnai? _That_ will avail you n… _**OOoooggggggghhhhh!**_"

Each 'smoke bomb' struck against the ground next to Galus' feet with the force of a live grenade. The sum of their explosions resulted in Galus being thrown turbulently towards the rear, with significant damage done to his rocket jet boots, as well as some indentations mashed upon the cybernetic portions of his legs.

"_**Heh!**_", chortled SOS Man in a high-pitch short snicker, "Not _all_ SOS bombs are _smoke_ bombs, **Galus!**"

Shadowy soupy smoke, as well as a rain of tiny fragments of metal lit ablaze like freckling embers from a campfire, had been left in the wake of SOS Man's opening gambit in this duel with Galus. The gambit had appeared effective, but it also had left SOS Man's view of his foe obscured.

"**Yes!**" exclaimed a wide-eyed Haruhi, pleasantly surprised by the sight of SOS Man so swiftly regaining the upper hand on Galus, "Now _finish him off_, SOS Man!"

"_Gladly_" responded Jinnai with a vindictive grin washing across his face.

SOS Man carefully and methodically walked towards where Galus was previously standing, moving his arms about to push the smoke out of his way, as well as out of his field of vision. SOS Man, while squinting downwards, caught a glimpse of Galus' fallen unmoving body. Upon further visual scrutinizing, it was apparent to Jinnai that he may have already defeated Galus.

"_Ha ha ha ha ha ha!_" laughed Jinnai, before turning his head around to face Haruhi and call out to her, "It looks like he's _already_ finished off, Haruhi! Now, let me use my acidic containment unit to burn those webs away from you, and we'll be…. _**GGGaaaggghhhhhh!**_"

SOS Man had just had the wind _completely_ knocked out of him by a cyborg fist giving him an underhanded punch directly to the gut, causing him to lean over in suffocating pain.

"**Katsuhiko!**" shouted out an alarmed Haruhi at the sound of him grunting piercingly in pain.

"_Heh heh heh…_" cackled Galus; the _real_ Galus, as _the illusion_ of his fallen body dispersed into nothingness, "You walked right into that trap, Jinnai, just like I knew you would! By pretending to be overconfident myself, I lured _you_ into a state of overconfidence. **Now**__I'm going to _dissect you _**bloody bit by bloody bit** in order to force the Bugrom Queen to do what **I** want her to do! But first, let's dispense with your obstructing helmet, shall we?"

Galus then roughly took hold of SOS Man's helmet with both hands, and ripped it off of his head, leaving a thin but long laceration on the left side of SOS Man's face, as well as abrasions underneath the left eye. The Lord of the Shadow Tribe then took firm hold of SOS Man's cape at two spots, one close to each shoulder, and draggedSOS Man's unhinged face close to Galus' own.

"Let's see what Haruhi Suzumiya thinks of you once I've mangled your face beyondbelief." sneered Galus at Jinnai, as Galus' eyes bore deeply into Jinnai's in this moment of withering intensity.

Galus then pulled back his right cyborg arm and launched a punch directly at SOS Man's nose with ludicrous speed, leaving after images of both motions of his arm here. Regardless, SOS Man had somehow managed to move his nose out of the way, but that merely resulted in his left ey_e_ being struck instead, blackened by the scrupulously choreographed impact, as Galus made sure not to go so far as to kill SOS Man.

"_**AAArrrrggggghhhhhh!**_" blared SOS Man in thunderous pain.

A downcast Haruhi Suzumiya, with an open frown and an anemic look on her face, could only look on speechless at this panic inflicting sight.

"You mechanical monstrosity!" shouted out a fiery, yet ultimately still helpless, Groucho, "The boss will **never** succumb to you!"

And yet, that currently looked to be _precisely_ what SOS Man was doing, as Galus began shellacking him mercilessly.

Due to the ticking hydrogen bomb, and his getaway chopper having been rendered inoperable, Galus lacked a means by which to outpace a radically destructive blast radius. He now had but one prospect remaining for the actualization of his savage dream for all of El Hazard. He had to emotionally stricken Haruhi Suzumiya to a point of forlorn despair; pressing her into destroying or remaking the entire planet, if not the universe in its entirety!

Galus had deduced that Jinnai dying relatively quickly at his hands would not be sufficient here, as it had not been sufficient before. Hence, he relied upon the idea that Haruhi seeing her SOS Man **slowly** _ground down to a pulp_ **would** be sufficient.

_6:00 until detonation_

While SOS Man was being pummeled into near unconsciousness by a sadistic Shadow Tribe Lord, I was being nursed back to health and consciousness by a warm and sympathetic former Shadow Tribe assassin.

"W-What happened…?" I asked woozily, as it felt like the inside of my head had a thousand ENOZ concerts going on within it.

"You were badly cut and knocked out by Nahato after Galus saw to all of your allies and friends being shocked into collapse" answered Nanoha Inverse, as she was kneeling down next to me, applying healing salves to my forehead, neck, and side wound, "It was certainly wise of Yuki to have me remain out of sight in case of emergency. I… I couldn't bring myself to attack Galus _directly_, though, I'm afraid…"

"That's… that's fine, Nanoha…" I stated, gradually gaining strength due to the preternatural effects of her healing salves, and as I shuddered into a slouched sitting position, "But… now that my memory is coming back…"

"We have to deactivate the hydrogen bomb" interjected Nanoha in a firm tone, "I know_._ That is why I have already revived Makoto Mizuhara, as his abilities may enable him to deactivate it. He has already begun searching about this facility in hopes of finding the location of the bomb. However…"

"We don't have a moment to spare." I now interjected, given the immediacy of our current predicament, and while rising to my feet, "Ok, with _my_ ability to sense metal or through metal, with _your_ ability to see through Shadow Tribe illusions, and with _Makoto's_ ability to manipulate technology native to El Hazard…"

"The three of us will make the perfect bomb diffusing team!" exclaimed Nanoha in a spirited shout.

"Well, for this particular bomb, at least" I responded with a smile, "Ok, **let's go!**"

And with that, Nanoha and I chased after Makoto Mizuhara, in the hopes of diffusing the bomb. At the same moment, however, Galus was busily diffusing apart every last shred of hope that might remain in the heart and mind of Haruhi Suzumiya…

"_**RRRrrraaaagggghhhh!**_" clamored SOS Man in grueling pain, as Galus had just kicked him in a calf muscle, causing him to plummet to the ground in charley horse anguish.

Punch… after kick… after raking of the eyes… after the breaking of one finger… after the discoloration of a right arm riddled with pain and twisted out of a joint… after an elbow to the back of the head… Jinnai was being personally thrashed liked never before. Only Ranma Taro had even come close to imposing such bodily damage and searing pain upon Katsuhiko Jinnai.

Jinnai had been reduced to a crumpled convulsing _mess_ simply struggling with all of his might, and against almost inconceivable pain, to simply move to all fours and from a laying position.

"_Still_ you try to rise to your feet, Jinnai?" asked an amused Galus, looking down upon him, "She means _that_ much to you? I have to admit, Jinnai, that even in the state that you are in now, I envy you. It has been a long time, a very long time indeed, since I have cared about _anyone_ to the degree that you clearly care about the Bugrom Queen. However_…_ reminding me of those people that I _did_ care about to such a degree _angers_ me, **Jinnai!**"

Galus then kicked Jinnai viciously into his gut, causing him to cough up blood, and fall upon his back, seemingly a totally defeated man.

"_**Stop it!**_" screamed Haruhi Suzumiya, as tears flung wildly from her reddening eyes, "Stop it, you… you… you malignant _mechanical_ **meanie!**"

"_Aaahhhh…_" said Galus, as though Haruhi's words were a serene symphony to his ears, and while turning about to face her, "It is nice to hear that you still have your _tongue_, Bugrom Queen! But then, I can hardly blame you for going completely silent at the harrowing sight of your copiously cherished champion of truth, justice, and the bugrom way, lying _broken_ at my feet!"

And SOS Man did indeed look broken. The veins of his eyes were showing while one eye was blackened, his right arm had been contorted into an unseemly shape, his left knee was bruised to the point of bleeding, his esophagus has been wounded to the point that breathing was difficult, and his entire body had simply been _racked_ by injurious blows.

Haruhi looked down at him, with the costume that she had designed form him torn asunder in many places, with such incredible regret and sympathy in her eyes.

"What do you want, Galus?" she screeched at him in desperate but strong query, but before taking upon herself a chocked tone of voice, "What do I have to do to get you to stop hurting Katsuhiko?"

"My Queen!" protested Groucho, as he looked over to her through the gaps in the webbing that he had strained in vain to free himself of, "Don't give in to this _feral beast!_ **Don't give up!**"

"_I can't take it anymore, Groucho…_" she sobbed to him.

That was _exactly_ what Galus had wanted to hear.

"And you don't _have_ to take it anymore, my dear." stated Galus in a disingenuous tone of sweet empathy, "With the power of your mind you can end all of this! You can end this cruel _joke_ of a world! You can stop bemoaning the sight of the abyss by making _everything_ an abyss! **End. It. ALL,** Haruhi Suzumiya! Let it all fade away into a comforting oblivion that will caress your bosom like the _vanquished_ SOS Man never could! …Or remake this world to reflect what is greatest and strong! Make it a world where _my_ might makes **right! **I have outshone Katsuhiko Jinnai for good, and hence is it not proper for me to reign supreme?"

Even in the thick of this arena of misery, Haruhi Suzumiya could not help but to be taken aback by Galus' words here. She looked at him as though he had seven heads and ten horns!

"Y-You're _**a raving lunatic!**_" she screamed at him, "My… _my God!_ You are _totally_ **insane!**"

"Very well…" stated Galus, superciliously shrugging his shoulders, "You leave me with no choice but to finally **kill** SOS Man then…"

Galus' mental health was certainly not beyond question at the moment, but he was nonetheless correct about Haruhi's capabilities, whether she wanted to admit it or not. Furthermore, Galus was not the only one whose mind had been enwrapped within a relentless focus so constricted and tightened that it bordered on insanity.

_2:00 to detonation_

Though barely conscious, Katsuhiko Jinnai's mind drifted back to one of the more traumatic moments in his life. A moment not much unlike this one. He remembered how he had tried to stand up for his sister Nanami against the bully Ranma Taro. He remembered how he had failed to save her, and how he had endured great bodily harm as a punishment for his good deed. He remembered his personal sense of shame at that moment, and he remembered how that day began the trend of Makoto Mizuhara outshining him at every turn, just as Galus had remarked that he had outshone Jinnai now.

While gnashing his teeth in almost incomprehensible rage, Jinnai saw in his mind the image of a boot stamping down on his face… over and over and over again… while Makoto Mizuhara, Galus, and faceless multitudes around him laughed and mocked him, and his sister turned away from him in disgusted disheartened disappointed. Then he saw Haruhi Suzumiya about to do the same…

"_**NNNnnnoooooooOOO!**_" roared SOS Man, as he stunned everyone on the rooftop by rapidly raising himself to his feet, flexing his arms backwards and tight to his sides, preempting Galus as Galus prepared to deal a final blow to SOS Man.

"I will **not**" –began SOS Man in a staunch indomitable tone, as he delivered a smashingswinging fist to Galus' jaw, -"be _one upped_"- he continued as he followed that up by bringing his other fist down in a _devastating_ descending drive to Galus' face, -"in front of"- he persisted as he smacked Galus with a direct punch to his nose, -"_Groucho_"- as he used his left fist to uppercut Galus with all the force that he could muster up, "_and__** Haruhi!**_"

Galus, groaning in pain from these four ferocious consecutive blows, had also been sent soaring stridently out of control! He crash landed upon his back, completely dazed and jolted by SOS Man's magnificent comeback!

"What _**valor!**_", exclaimed Groucho in awestruck admiration of his boss and best bud.

"_**SOS Man!**_" shouted an exuberant Haruhi Suzumiya, in an heady mixture of disbelieving awe and a spirit reinvigorating by the Bugrom Queen's champion mounting a comeback.

SOS Man had been so enraged by Galus, and so surged by what felt to Jinnai like his last chanceto undo the cursed culmination of a lifetime of relative degrading, that he had managed to both block out the enormous pain that he was in, as well as force broken or wounded parts of his body to move as he desired by sheer force of will. With a look of conviction affixed to his face that was sharp enough, and hot enough, to cut through metal as though it was butter, he strode towards the fallen form of the moaning Galus.

"I'm putting an end to your _madness_, you _**crazy sideshow freak!**_" SOS Man exclaimed in boiling rage towards Galus, as he fastened the fingers of his two hands tightly together above his head, about to bring a crushing blow down upon Galus' skull.

However, SOS Man was simply too slow here, as his one super burst of adrenaline was now beginning to wear off.

"Ithink _not…_" stated a still confident Galus, as he swiftly rose to his feet, and took hold of SOS Man's neck with a tight grip of his cybernetic right hand.

"**Gaaaahhhh!**" cried SOS Man, as Galus lifted him off the ground, and began to squeeze his hand harder around his neck.

"_**NO!**_" screamed a frenzied Haruhi Suzumiya, having thought that SOS Man might, _just might_, complete this stirring recovery by singlehandedly defeating Galus.

Nevertheless, SOS Man's highly improbable resurgence was enough to give Haruhi some renewed hope, even though it had been halted. To try to bring that hope to some sort of fruitful fruition, Haruhi tried to focus on all of the encouraging words that she had heard from new and old friend alike in recent days. Similar encouraging words where needed by both Makoto and Nanoha at this same minute, however, as the collective efforts of Nanoha and I had enabled us to locate the count downing hydrogen bomb, with only…

_1:00 to detonation_

"This…_this…_" began Makoto, as the pulsating rotating lights of the hydrogen bomb gave out a desiccating heat that, combined with Makoto's anxiety at the moment, caused him to sweat profusely, "…is the most wearisome manipulation of El Hazard technology that I've ever attempted. My mind is walking through an inscrutable _maze_ as I try to find the _off switch_ for this darn thing!"

"You can do it, Makoto" I stated to him, in a contradictory moment of _**me**_ trying to play the hopeful optimist to _**his**_ daunted pessimism, "You're a real whiz at this kind of stuff! You'll get it done!"

_00:45 to detonation_

"That's right!" chimed in Nanoha, "You and Kyon… you and Kyon are **winners**, Makoto! Unlike _me_, I'm afraid…"

"**Nanoha!**" I stated, startled by her words here, "What do you mean by that?"

"Welllll" Nanoha slowly began in answer, "While I'm glad I made the decision that I did…"

_00:30 to detonation_

"The fact is, Kyon…" she continued, "Is that the Shadow Tribe is hated throughout all of El Hazard, and now I'm going to be hated by the Shadow Tribe itself as well. I have become a pariah to my own people, and unwanted by everyone else. I am now without _a tribe_, and without a people to call my own."

"That isn't true!" I quickly piped up to her, as I took hold of her shoulders.

_00:15 to detonation_

"I… I would be honored to be your friend, Nanoha" I said to her, "A-And you're _still_ cute enough that any guys with eyes would **have** to like you!"

"…_Kyon…_" she said in a soft tone, clearly moved by my words.

And then, given the heat of the moment, and given the atomizing heat that I truthfully expected to be upon me any second now, I coupled my faked optimism with a sincere equally atypical decision to throw caution to the wind… since I suspected that a million tiny fragments of my body would _also_ soon be carried about by howling winds. Hence, I passionately delved into her face, bringing my lips excitedly upon hers. I took some degree of morbid pride in the thought that I'd not only be going out _in a bang_… I'd be going out in a bang _in more ways than one_.

_00:02 to detonation _

"_**Got it!**_" exclaimed a triumphant Makoto Mizuhara, as he then lurched rearwards to settle back down, wiping the sweat from his forehead, and breathing the deepest sight of relief of his entire life.

_**Hydrogen Bomb shut down complete**_

_That_ put me in the awkward position of not having 'gone out' at all, meaning that my kiss of Nanoha would have lasting repercussions.

"You're a great kisser, Kyon!" shouted Nanoha with a wide appreciating smile, "And since Makoto came through for us, I'll make sure to repay you for that kiss sometime soon!"

I chuckled nervously over this.

"I never thought you had it in you, Kyon" stated Makoto with a playful grin.

"I didn't think that I had it in me either!" I responded to him.

"Ha!" Makoto laughed at this, before taking a more serious tone upon himself, "In any event, while we've taken care of this hydrogen bomb…"

"We should get to the rooftop to see if Galus successfully made off with Haruhi" I stated, finishing his sentence for him.

"_**Right!**_" exclaimed Nanoha, whom my ego liked to believe was now up to fighting Galus directly due to the effects of my great kiss, "Let's go!"

At this moment, Haruhi was trying to rouse herself to not 'go', per se, but simply to do something, _anything_, that might turn the situation once more around in SOS Man's favor. Ye, she didn't know what to do… she didn't know how to overcome the webs that encumbered her, as well as her own internal doubts.

_Still…_

"You are a very quick learner, Miss Suzumiya." Diva had said to her, "From what I have gathered from your words, there is a substantial likelihood that _your_ chosen goals may actually reflect the prophesized promised land of domination, glory, and plenty more than mine did."

"_**Don't give up, Haruhi!**_" Mikuru had exclaimed at her before, "Don't submit to the vile traps that have been set for you! Believe in Yuki, believe in me, believe in yourself, and believe in Katsuhiko!"

"You have a lot of spunk, Haruhi Suzumiya!" Nanami had shouted at her very recently.

"Haruhi…" I had said to her softly and only a couple days ago, "I think that whatever you eventually choose to do will be the right choice. To be honest and fair to you, you're usually pretty good at reasoning out the best course of action to take in tight squeezes like this one, just like you did when you tried to discover who the killer was when we visited Itsuki's relative at the island villa. Whatever you choose to do, Haruhi, _I'll_ support you in that choice."

"I am _proud_ of you, my Queen!" Groucho had admitted to her, "I _know_ that you will achieve the end of warfare that the Bugrom people have desired for untold ages!"

"Now _chin up!_" Sensei Fujisawa had said to her in an encouraging tone, and while flashing a confident smile towards her, "You're the Bugrom Queen! You have to stay strong because you have a mighty responsibility on your shoulders, and I'm going to lend my shoulders to you to help you out in meeting those responsibilities!"

"Let me introduce you to… the clever trainer and shape-changer that will change the fate of the Bugrom Empire forever!" Katsuhiko Jinnai had shouted in a speech to the restored Bugrom Empire, "Let me introduce you to our invaluable ally, **Haruhi Suzumiya!**"

"_Invaluable ally…_" she stated softly, repeating two of Katsuhiko's words, "SOS Man _alone_ cannot win this day. But maybe with the help of an **invaluable ally…!**"

SOS Man alone was indeed unable to win this day, as he labored in vain, kicking his legs wildly while pulling pointlessly at Galus' cybernetic right hand with both of his normal hands, to free himself from Galus' hold.

"I'm done playing with you, Jinnai!" Galus snarled to him, "It is over for me. The hydrogen bomb will kill us all, thanks to _your_ **meddling!** But I'll see to it that you'll be **the first** to enter the grave today, Jinnai, sent there by me popping your head off of your scrawny little pencil-neck!"

"_**Get away from my invaluable ally!**_", came a loud impassioned shout from a thoroughly rejuvenated teenage girl.

Three shurikens, with a symbol shaped like the outline of Groucho's head smoothly carved into the center of each of them, impelled into the right cybernetic arm of Galus, making some sort of tick tock sound as they remained dug into his arm.

"W-what?" exclaimed a thoroughly startled Galus, but not as startled as he soon would be, "_**Gggggaaaaaarrrrrrrrgggghhhh!**_"

These three unique shurikens made small, but powerful, localized explosions, causing substantial chunks of Galus' right arm to be blown off, which in turn caused Galus to drop SOS Man, who landed upon his backside, breathing heavily. Galus turned away from Jinnai and his attacker, grimacing in tear producing pain.

"He he he…" laughed Haruhi, "How did you like my _bugarangs_, Galus?"

"B-b-_**bugarangs?**_" asked an incredulous SOS Man, after soothing his neck by stroking it, and turning his head towards where Haruhi's voice was coming from.

"_Well…_" she began in a very sweet tone to him, before shooting one arm upwards to the heavens above in an imposing pose, "What better weapon for the **Dark Queen of the Bugrom Empire?** What more appropriate utility tool for the **Caped Crusader of El Hazard?** What better way for _**Bugwoman**_ to make an entrance?"

Haruhi actually new little about the fictional character that she had based her SOS Man concept off of, but she knew a few details. She knew that he, _like Katsuhiko Jinnai_, was an alien immigrant to another world who became beloved amongst those who inherited him and even treated him as one of their own, which was almost the _entire idea_ behind the costume. But she also knew that this western comic book character had an equally famous ally who would frequently work alongside of him in a _league of justice_.

And so now, due to her being able to use her shape-changing abilities since the medication that had been given to her had begun to worn off, Haruhi had escaped from the webbing that she had been ensnared within. She was also now clad in a silky smooth mostly black leather outfit from neck to toe, which was completed with a black cape and cowl extended over the bridge of her noses, with two large slits made for her eyes, and two tiny slits on the top for her bugrom antennae to extend out through. Upon her chest was a yellow symbol in the shape of one of the more angular bugrom faces, which served to perfectly accentuated Haruhi's two breasts. Jinnai's nose actually bled at this sensuously sexy sight.

"SOS Man and Bugwoman!" she shouted, as she rushed over to smile widely at the blinking in amazement Jinnai, her face very close to his, "Together we are _**El Hazard's Finest!**_"

SOS Man was bewildered, but he wasn't about to fail to take advantage of the great opportunity that _Bugwoman_ had given him. As such, he was about to rise to his feet, when Bugwoman stared deeply into his eyes; not romantically, but like a hypnotist trying hard to psyche someone out.

"_Wh__**-what are you doing?**_" asked SOS Man, even more freaked out by this stare than I had been when Haruhi had given it to me before.

"_He he he. _I'm just beaming _healing rays_ into you with my **bugvision!**" she stated to him proudly, while standing back up to take a stern posture with both hands firmly on her hips, "Now, let's go finish off Galus _together_, **SOS Man!**"

Katsuhiko Jinnai suddenly noticed that Bugwoman was _right_ as all of his broken joints, all of his skin discoloration, and all of his cuts and abrasions… had somehow been healed!

"_Wow…_" he couldn't help but to exclaim, but with it only taking him a second to fully regain his composure, and come to his feet, "Ok then, _Bugwoman_, let's go show Galus that _nobody_ messes with _us_, and gets away with it!"

"_**Right on!**_" shouted Haruhi, pumping a fist by bringing an elbow down close to her abdominals.

A growling Galus had finally come back to attack as well, and began racing with an uncontrollable deranged rage at Haruhi Suzumiya and Katsuhiko Jinnai. But Galus' moment had passed.

"_BBUUUUUGGGGG…_**KICK!**" exclaimed Haruhi Suzumiya, as she threw an amazing double-footed roundhouse kick at Galus from the left.

"**S O S** _**PAAAAUUUWWWNNNCCCHHH!**_" roared Katsuhiko Jinnai, as he swung a fist with all the momentum of a locomotive at Galus from the right.

Galus' faced was _squished_, temporarily beyond recognition, by these two decisive blows striking him simultaneously! He was also, not surprisingly, rendered unconscious by them, falling upon the rooftop… _defeated._

_Finally_, and at a most _in_opportune time, a large number of bugrom had made it to the rooftop, having just finished dispatching with the last of the Shadow Tribe soldiers. Still, they did arrive in time to take part in some vivacious victory revelry.

"SOS Man has emerged victorious!" exclaimed Chico having just caught Galus' collapse.

"And that woman in the odd black costume" stated Margaret, "I'm sure that's Queen Haruhi!"

"_**We won!**_" asserted Haruhi Suzumiya most vivaciously and vigorously, as she leapt _at least_ three feet into the air, arms _wildly_ outstretched, and _directly_ towards Katsuhiko Jinnai.

Jinnai caught her somewhat clumsily, but after taking a couple steps backwards to steady both him and Haruhi, he began to _twirl _himself around, as well as _twirling_ the outstretched form of Haruhi Suzumiya about in the air. Haruhi and Jinnai were now like two young kids on a playground who had just won their favorite game against another team. Both laughed with great cheerfulness as Jinnai twirled Haruhi about.

A large number of bugrom began to unite together in a circular formation around their Bugrom Queen and Supreme Commander, but giving the two of them plenty of room within which to continue their more personal celebrations. Jinnai finally placed a euphorically smiling Haruhi Suzumiya back down on her feet.

It was at that exact point that Nanoha, Makoto, and I arrived at the rooftop. Hearing our steps coming towards them, Haruhi and Jinnai both looked over in the general direction of Makoto, Nanoha, and me.

"_**Kyon!**_" Haruhi exclaimed jubilantly.

"…_Makoto._" Jinnai sneered, bringing his palm to his face, "Why _oh why_ did he _have_ to interrupt my _**greatest**_ moment of victory?"

"Katsuhiko!" Haruhi shouted enthusiastically at Jinnai, as she looked upwards at him with a big excited smile on her face, "I have to _finally_ introduce you to Kyon! _**Come with me!**_"

Haruhi grabbed hold of one of Jinnai's hands with both of hers and dragged him after her, with the two of them eventually coming to a stop only a few feet in front of Makoto, Nanoha, and I.

"Kyon!" Haruhi shouted with a smile to me, before motioning one arm towards SOS Man, "Let me introduce you to my new best fri…"

"We've already met" I stated firmly to her.

"Oh? You have?" asked a dumbfounded Haruhi, before turning to Jinnai, "Katsuhiko, you never told me that you met Kyon!"

"Er, well… _you see_… ah, that is to say…" began Jinnai, pulling nervously at his cape which doubled as a collar, and _scrambling_ to find some way to explain how he first met me without getting him or me into trouble.

"We only met briefly" I stated on his behalf to Haruhi, "I had to save Makoto from him at the time."

"…_Oh_." said Haruhi in a low tone, quickly realizing once more that Jinnai wasn't _always_ heroic.

Makoto and Nanoha meanwhile laughed anxiously over this awkward situation.

"But that's beside the point" I continued, to break the tension, and before turning to address Jinnai, choosing to politely bow to him, as is the Japanese custom, "You saved Haruhi _twice_, Katsuhiko, and for that, at least, I thank you."

"Well, _**yes**_, you are most welcomed, good sir!" exclaimed a most relieved Jinnai, as he rapidly bowed three times to me, to try to dash any thought from Haruhi's mind of him having recently attempted murder against Makoto.

"You can _relax_ now, Katsuhiko…" I stated to him with a grin, while raising an eyebrow a bit mischievously.

"Well." said Jinnai, settling himself, "It's good to finally meet… on _good terms_, of course, _you understand_… the Kyon that Haruhi has told me _so_ much about! It's very clear to me that you, Kyon, are to Haruhi what Groucho is to me! Hence, I hope that all four of us can be close comrades."

"Thank you… for that _charming _analogy, Katsuhiko" I responded to him, my head twitching a bit over it, yet I couldn't get _that_ angry over it, since I suspected, sadly, that there was much truth to it…

"Excellent!" shouted a pleased Haruhi, "I'm glad that you two are getting along with each other. Well, _now_ you're getting along with each other at least."

"…We should go board the Red Comet now" stated an anxious Jinnai to Haruhi, "Diva is no doubt worried sick over you, and so we need to get you back to the Bugrom Hive ASAP!"

"Yeah" said a nervous Makoto, thinking the same thing that Jinnai was, "For once, I'm in _full_ agreement with Jinnai! Kyon, Nanoha and I need to go wake up the others and head back to Florestica right away ourselves. So we'll catch you all later then!"

"O-Ok" said Haruhi, even now not fully realizing just how bad the blood between Makoto and Jinnai was.

I took it upon myself to take Galus into custody, however. He was to be imprisoned for his crimes, but hopefully, and for Nanoha's sake, reformed. It was now exceedingly late on the SOS brigade's ninth day on El Hazard. Truthfully, all of us gathered at this now bugrom conquered Shadow Tribe fortress were exhausted.

As such, Haruhi, Jinnai, and the hundreds of bugrom who headed back to the hive took turns sleeping during the overnight journey, although Jinnai left behind a sizeable contingent of bugrom to ensure that he would get to add one final piece of territory to the Bugrom Empire in what he knew might be his last _glorious_ military operation.

Likewise, Sensei Fujisawa, Itsuki Koizumi, Nanami Jinnai, Nanoha Inverse disguised as a human of El Hazard, Makoto Mizuhara, Ura, Yuki Nagato, the Three Priestesses, and myself, all took turns sleeping during our journey back to El Hazard upon the rather cramped and crowded Camerock and Peacemaker crafts. Nagato remained awake all night however, to ensure that Galus didn't try to get away.

The SOS Brigade's tenth and eleventh days on El Hazard proved to be a relative calm after the storm, as humanitarian and reconstruction efforts dominated the minds of all of us in Roshtaria, while there was much for Haruhi, Jinnai, and Diva to discuss concerning Haruhi's fast approaching official coronation as Queen, as well as SOS Brigade matters that were pertinent to the Bugrom Empire.

Finally, though, during the middle of the night of my eleventh night on El Hazard, Haruhi and Jinnai arrived in Florestica, riding atop the Red Comet. Haruhi was back in her North High school uniform, while Jinnai was back in his own student uniform with no article of SOS Man clothing about him, based on an interesting suggestion by communiqué that Nanami had sent to Haruhi via Nagato.

Haruhi and Jinnai had come to Florestica to put the final stamp of approval on the peace accord between the Bugrom Empire and the Alliance of human nations. They had arrived during the middle of the night to avoid as much commotion as possible given what the presence of the _infamous_ Katsuhiko Jinnai within Florestica's royal palace itself could cause. Jinnai certainly turned more than a few heads at the peace accord signing the next morning.

"What got _you_ up on the wrong side of the bed, _Megraton_?" Jinnai asked of him while grinning wildly, "I don't suppose it's the _screaming_ upstart _star_ Cyberica politician that's looking to replace you, eh?"

Megraton grumbled beneath his breath.

"Just sign the peace accord and get this unsightly scene over with, _**damn you!**_" Megraton growled in reply.

"You're awfully hot under the collar there, Megraton" stated Jinnai, feigning concern "I know that you have a _prime_ problem in _optimizing_ your nation's military, but still, do you have to take that out on me?"

"_Grrrrr…._" growled Megraton angrily.

"T-that's enough fun for _one_ morning, Katsuhiko" stated Bugrom Queen Haruhi, her eyebrows twitching slightly, fearing that Jinnai's poking fun at his former enemies could ruin the morning entirely.

Jinnai was satisfactorily amused for the moment, having decided to get revenge on the difficult Megraton on Haruhi's behalf, but with a small sigh, Jinnai signed his name directly under Haruhi's upon the peace accord parchment.

"Well, with even _Katsuhiko Jinnai's_ signature upon the peace agreement" stated Princess Rune Venus, coming to a stand, "An age of _peace_; an age that we have longed after for _millennia_ will now reign throughout all of El Hazard!"

A mighty cheer erupted throughout the entire hall in which this peace agreement had been signed, although Jinnai and Megraton's cheers were quite half-hearted.

Still, seeing an entire world shift from untold ages of war to a time of peace was quite the sight to behold. Even I couldn't help but to feel hopeful and uplifted over witnessing it. So did Nanoha, who had watched the peace signing from just outside the signing room.

"Do you think that this peace will last, Kyon?" Nanoha asked softly of me, in a whisper.

I dwelt on that question for a bit, trying to find a suitable answer to it. It was far from the _only_ question that sat restlessly in my mind however.

What would become of Haruhi, Nagato, Asahina, Koizumi, and I from this point on? Would Haruhi expect the rest of the SOS Brigade to become part of her royal guard? If Haruhi's attitude could be unbearable before, one has to wonder what she'd be like now, as actual royalty.

Could Jinnai be placated by Haruhi on a permanent basis? Would he _truly_ give up on his previous resolve to kill Makoto, and to rule all of El Hazard? Well, Jinnai seemed to like playing the hero, so perhaps optimism was called for her.

But I was not optimistic about finding a way home, back to Japan, back to my parents and sister who I'm sure must be very worried about me by now. Even now, none of the SOS Brigade knows precisely what brought us here to El Hazard, or why.

Koizumi's theory is a comforting one, however.

"Perhaps we were brought to El Hazard, by some unseen entity or force, in order to help establish peace on this world." he had stated to me, "Beyond that, Miss Suzumiya's heart and mind has gained a peaceful contentment that we have long sought for. She has achieved her greatest goals and dreams, but largely within the constraints of them _not_ being brought about by her powers. El Hazard _and_ Earth are both better off for it."

"But what of us, Koizumi?" I asked in turn, "Will we ever see Japan again?"

Koizumi had paused for almost a minute, to think deeply on this question.

"Someday Haruhi will long to return to Earth, to see her school, and to see her father." Koizumi answered, "And on that day, Kyon, we will all return to Earth, by Haruhi's powers. Not just the SOS Brigade, but Sensei Fujisawa, Makoto, and the Jinnai siblings as well."

Koizumi would end up being right.

Haruhi would indeed end up being the final Queen of the Bugrom Empire.

She and Jinnai would give up both of their roles, forever altering the Bugrom Empire into a democratic and free Bugrom _Republic_. However, the SOS Brigade of El Hazard continues on, lead by the top scientists of the bugrom and humans of El Hazard alike.

Groucho, very much attached to Jinnai and Haruhi, would actually opt to go to Earth with them. Now there is a bugrom on Earth. Jinnai's best bud, and Haruhi's personal pet. The disguises that this poor creature would be made to wear in public…

To get away from Makoto, and to make it easier to continue on his newfound friendships, Jinnai would transfer to North High for the final semester of his high school life. His temporary inclusion into the SOS Brigade somehow managed to make things even _more_ wild and unpredictable than usual.

Meanwhile, Sensei Fujisawa, Makoto, and Nanami would all continue on happily at their own school.

Makoto probably had the happiest return to Earth of us all though.

Finally, he had been reunited with Ifurita, the _real_ Ifurita.

As for myself, my life had once more been turned upside down by the whims of one Suzumiya Haruhi. And yet, I can't say that I regret it. In El Hazard, peace and freedom now finally ring, and those of us who are of Earth have returned, _better_ for the experience of visiting the magnificent El Hazard.

The Magnificent El Hazard of Haruhi Suzumiya's deepest dreams.

**The End **

Well, that's it, everybody! I very much hoped that you enjoyed the story. I'd really like to hear the reviews of people who have read this right to the end. Please tell me what you thought of the full story!


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